ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- President Bola Tinubu has warned the newly established Regional Development Commission’s against turning public funds into unproductive projects, directing their managements to prioritise investments capable of generating jobs, expanding economic opportunities and developing their respective regions.
Tinubu, who spoke on Monday through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, at the inaugural North Central Stakeholders Development Summit in Abuja, also ordered the timely release of funds due to the commissions.
According to Vanguard, the President said the commissions must not become another channel for waste, corruption or politically driven projects, stressing that their interventions should complement rather than duplicate the responsibilities of existing governments.
“The era of white elephant projects is over and there is no excuse for the Commissions to become another conduit pipe for wasting public funds,” Tinubu said.
He warned the boards and managements of the commissions against corruption, marginalisation, politicisation and ethnic considerations in the execution of their mandates, saying officials found culpable would face sanctions.
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“Such actions will not be tolerated and government will not hesitate to sanction anyone found culpable,” he said.
The President tasked the commissions with developing projects that would unlock the economic potential of their regions while improving connectivity through roads, rail, air transportation and other infrastructure.
He also listed industrialisation, security, investment, education, healthcare and human-capital development among areas requiring attention, insisting that programmes must be realistic, properly funded and focused on measurable benefits for citizens.
Tinubu said the government’s decision to establish development commissions across the regions was aimed at addressing longstanding infrastructure and development gaps and ensuring that no part of the country was left behind.
He, however, cautioned against excessive reliance on government allocations, urging the commissions to attract private investment through Public-Private Partnerships, donor support and development financing.
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The President consequently directed the SGF’s office to ensure that funds accruing to the Regional Development Commissions were released when due.
He further urged stakeholders at the North Central summit to subject the region’s proposed 20-year development plan to proper scrutiny and ensure that it translated into practical projects.
“This Summit should not end up as one of those platforms where ideas are ventilated and reports generated only to be left dusting in the shelves. The NCDC should show a better example by following through to implementation,” he said.
The North Central Development Commission said its proposed 20-year development plan was designed to move the region away from isolated state projects towards an integrated economic system.
Its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Cyril Yiltsen Tsenyil, said the region would have to begin viewing infrastructure, agriculture, minerals and markets beyond individual state boundaries if it was to attract significant investment.
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“Investors do not see the boundary between Benue and Nasarawa, or between Kogi and Niger, the way governments do. They see markets, supply chains, corridors, resources and labour pools,” Tsenyil said.
He said the commission intended to link agricultural production with processing, storage, logistics, finance and export markets, while mineral resources would be developed beyond extraction through local processing and responsible mining.
The NCDC said discussions had commenced with the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development on initiatives in the sector, including a proposed Special Purpose Vehicle.
Infrastructure, according to the commission, would also be developed around regional economic corridors rather than as standalone projects.
Tsenyil disclosed that discussions were ongoing with the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission on a regional railway network, while other proposed interventions include the revival of Ajaokuta Steel, dredging of the Benue and Niger rivers, Baro Port and the Jos Dry Inland Port.
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The commission also plans to create structured “Deal Rooms” where investment proposals from the states in the region and the Federal Capital Territory would be presented to potential investors according to their level of readiness.
Tsenyil said investors would need reliable data, feasibility studies, land information, revenue models and clearly defined risks before committing funds to projects.
He said the commission would rely on a combination of public resources, development finance, commercial funding, domestic and foreign investment, PPPs, concessions, grants and blended financing.
“Our philosophy is that every naira of public money should be deployed to unlock a far larger pool of private capital,” Tsenyil said.
He added that the commission’s success would ultimately be measured by jobs created, private capital attracted, infrastructure delivered and increased value from the region’s agricultural and mineral resources, rather than the number of meetings or agreements signed.