Key Takeaways
- President Bola Tinubu has warned against corruption and 'white elephant projects' in newly established Regional Development Commissions.
- Officials found culpable of mismanaging public funds will face sanctions.
- The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF)'s office is directed to ensure timely release of funds to these commissions.
- Commissions are urged to mobilize private capital and explore Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) rather than solely relying on government funding.
- The North Central Development Commission (NCDC) has unveiled an ambitious 20-year development plan focused on agro-industrial transformation, mineral wealth, and interconnected infrastructure.
- The plan emphasizes regional economic integration, human capital development, and peace as crucial drivers for sustainable growth.
ABUJA — President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared an end to the era of 'white elephant projects' and the wasteful expenditure of public funds, issuing a stern warning of impending sanctions against any official found culpable of corruption within the newly established Regional Development Commissions. This directive underscores a renewed commitment to accountability and efficient resource management across Nigeria's development initiatives.
Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, at the inaugural North Central Stakeholders Development Summit in Abuja, President Tinubu also mandated the SGF’s office to ensure the prompt release of funds allocated to these commissions. Crucially, he urged them to proactively mobilize private capital, emphasizing that sole dependence on government funding is unsustainable for long-term development.
The President's warning coincided with the North Central Development Commission (NCDC)'s unveiling of an ambitious 20-year development plan. This comprehensive blueprint aims to transform the region’s vast agricultural, mineral, infrastructural, and human-capital potential into productive assets, attracting investment, creating jobs, and fostering shared prosperity for its inhabitants.
Akume, delivering the President’s remarks, clarified that the Regional Development Commissions were established under the 'Renewed Hope Agenda' to bridge longstanding development gaps, not to duplicate or usurp the functions of existing government tiers. “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 stated, signaling a clear departure from past practices where projects often commenced without clear economic viability or suffered from mismanagement.
The President stressed that these commissions must prioritize projects capable of unlocking their regions' inherent potential while strengthening national interconnectivity. He identified critical areas for focus, including roads, rail, air transportation, industrialization, security, investment, education, health, and human-capital development. Tinubu charged the commissions to operate with clear, concise, attainable, and properly funded programmes, reiterating that true development must ultimately benefit the people, not merely result in documentation.
Dr. Cyril Yiltsen Tsenyil, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NCDC, articulated a vision for the North Central to transcend individual state projects and operate as an integrated regional economy. “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 explained, advocating for a holistic approach to development.
Under the draft 20-year plan, the NCDC aims for the North Central to become one of Africa’s most competitive agro-industrial regions. This involves moving agriculture beyond primary production into storage, processing, logistics, finance, commodity markets, and export-oriented value chains. Similarly, the region’s mineral wealth is expected to generate greater value through responsible mining, formalization of artisanal operators, and local processing, with discussions already underway with the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development.
To fund these ambitious initiatives, the NCDC is actively exploring Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), donor funding, and development financing, aligning with their establishment Acts. The commission plans to organize investment-ready opportunities from states into structured “Deal Rooms,” classifying them by readiness for investors who require credible data, feasibility studies, and assurance that projects will endure administrative changes. “Our philosophy is that every naira of public money should be deployed to unlock a far larger pool of private capital,” Tsenyil affirmed, highlighting the strategic role of the commission's Board-approved Investment Company.
Further emphasizing the long-term vision, Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh, stated that the 20-year plan offers the North Central an opportunity to establish a common development vision capable of surviving changes in government. He linked this regional plan to the proposed National Regional Development Policy (NRDP) 2026–2030, which his ministry is advancing to provide a broader framework for coordinating regional development across the nation. Momoh underscored that the plan must be a transformative framework, guiding public investment, private capital, and development partnerships over the long term, with human capital development and peace and security being non-negotiable pillars for sustainable progress.
Why This Matters
President Tinubu's firm stance on accountability and the NCDC's comprehensive 20-year development plan signal a critical shift towards sustainable, regionally integrated growth in Nigeria. By prioritizing private capital mobilization, strategic infrastructure, and human capital development, these initiatives aim to unlock the North Central's vast potential, fostering economic diversification and ensuring that development benefits all citizens, thereby contributing significantly to national stability and prosperity.