President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday declared that the era of white elephant projects was over, warning the Regional Development Commissions against becoming conduits for wasting public funds through projects that do not directly improve Nigerians’ lives.
The President also warned the boards and managements of the commissions against corruption, marginalisation, politicisation and ethnicisation of their operations, saying his administration would not hesitate to sanction anyone found culpable.
Tinubu spoke in Abuja while declaring open the first North Central Stakeholders Development Summit organised by the North Central Development Commission (NCDC).
Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, the President charged the commissions to develop clear, concise, attainable and fundable programmes capable of unlocking the economic potential of their respective regions.
‘The era of white elephant projects is over and there is no excuse for the Commissions to become another conduit for wasting public funds.
‘Such actions will not be tolerated and government will not hesitate to sanction anyone found culpable’, Tinubu said.
Tinubu, however, assured the commissions of the Federal Government’s political and financial backing, directing the SGF to ensure that all funds accruing to them were released as and when due.
‘Government will continue to give the NCDC and other Regional Development Commissions the political and financial backing to embark on key projects that will unlock the economic and industrial potentials of the nation.
‘I therefore direct the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to ensure that all funds accruable to the Commissions are released as and when due,’ he said.
The President also urged the commissions not to rely exclusively on government funding, advising them to explore alternative sources of financing, including public-private partnerships, donor funding and development financing, subject to their establishing laws and government guidelines.
Tinubu said establishing the Regional Development Commissions was part of his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda to accelerate development and address longstanding development gaps across the country.
He clarified that the commissions were not established to replace, duplicate or usurp the functions of any tier of government.
‘Rather, it is our way of looking at why development gaps still exist and trying to close them up for the benefit of our people,’ he said.
According to him, the commissions must focus on development priorities that unlock the potential of their respective regions while strengthening interconnectivity across the country.
He identified roads, rail and air transportation, industrialisation, security, investment, human capital development, education and health as critical sectors requiring attention.
Tinubu also charged the Ministry of Regional Development to ensure that the commissions operated within the Regional Development Policy Document, while urging the legislature to provide the necessary oversight.
Speaking specifically on the North Central, the President said the region possessed enormous potential in agriculture, food production and agro-processing, solid minerals development and processing, industrial development, peace and security.
He, however, said the region had operated below its potential for too long, challenging stakeholders to use the summit to chart a new development trajectory capable of transforming its economic fortunes.
The President acknowledged the security challenges confronting parts of the region, saying the Federal Government had intensified surveillance and intelligence gathering, established more security formations, deployed additional personnel and increased the prosecution of criminals.
He said the government had also supported dialogue and reconciliation as part of efforts to restore peace and stability.
Tinubu urged the NCDC to complement the Federal Government’s efforts to stabilise the region, stressing that meaningful development could only take place in an atmosphere of peace and security.
He described the summit’s theme, ‘The Great Leap Forward: A 20-Year Economic, Infrastructural and Social Development Plan for the North Central Region,’ as appropriate, saying it provided stakeholders an opportunity to develop a consensus-driven roadmap for the region.
The President urged participants to scrutinise the proposed development plan and ensure that it reflected the aspirations of the people while aligning with the Renewed Hope Agenda.
He warned the NCDC against letting the summit’s outcome suffer the fate of previous development initiatives whose recommendations were never implemented.
‘This Summit should not end up as one of those platforms where ideas are ventilated and reports generated only to be left dusting on the shelves. The NCDC should show a better example by following through to implementation,’ Tinubu said.
He urged the commission to translate the summit’s outcome into concrete, measurable projects that would stimulate economic activity, improve livelihoods, and unlock the North Central region’s vast potential.