The Minister of Regional Development, Engr. Abubakar Momoh, has urged the country’s regional development commissions to focus on people-oriented projects to help address regional disparities, promote economic growth, and improve the quality of life for people in the regions.
The Minister, who spoke during a three-day retreat on institutional coordination for development organised by his Ministry in Lagos, said that despite the diverse nature of the region, the people have common environmental challenges
Momoh charged all the newly established Commissions with collaborating to leverage regional opportunities to expand intervention in health, education, and security and build more capacity.
The Minister urged the Commissions and development agencies to align their activities with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda. He underlined the eight presidential priorities: food security, poverty eradication, job creation, and the fight against corruption.
These commissions, Momoh explained, are designed to drive development and address regional disparities across the country.
“These commissions are set to accelerate development across their respective regions,” he stated.
He emphasised that his ministry remained focused on the Niger Delta, ensuring that the region receives the attention and resources it deserved for its development.
In his welcome address, the Minister of State for the ministry, Uba Maigari Ahmadu, said the commissions would serve as purposeful vehicles to deliver the federal government’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which Aims to re-ignite Nigeria’s development trajectory through sustainable and inclusive policies.
In his goodwill message, the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Dr Sanuel Ogbuku, assured the Commission would deliver more development projects for the benefit of the people.
He noted that several developmental projects were inaugurated recently as part of the NDDC’s 25th anniversary celebrations. He stated that another round of project commissioning would commence this month to reinforce the commission’s ongoing commitment to regional development.
He assured that the Commission would remain guided by the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu in its drive to quicken the development of the Niger Delta region.
The keynote speaker at the retreat, Dr Sam Amadi, whose paper was entitled “Ideas and Lessons for Driving Nigeria’s Regional Development Commissions,” highlighted the importance of driving regional development in the country.
