Tuesday, September 15, 2026 - President Bola Tinubu has sent a strong warning to officials
running Nigeria's new Regional Development Commissions.
President Tinubu has warned
that government will no longer tolerate corruption and wasteful spending by the
newly created Regional Development Commissions, threatening to sanction any
officials found guilty.
Speaking through the
Secretary to the Government at the first North Central Stakeholders Development
Summit in Abuja, Tinubu said the era of white elephant projects is over.
The commissions must stop
wasting public funds and instead focus on projects that unlock regional
potential while strengthening connections across the country.
He directed the Secretary's
office to ensure funds meant for the commissions are released promptly and on
schedule.
He also pushed them to seek
private capital and partnerships rather than relying solely on government
money.
The commissions were set up
under his Renewed Hope Agenda to close long-standing development gaps, not to
duplicate or interfere with existing government structures.
Tinubu said they should
prioritise roads, rail, air transport, industries, security, investment,
education, health and human resource development with programmes that are
clear, achievable and properly funded.
Most importantly, he
stressed that development should be about the people and not just about
producing documents and reports that gather dust.
Meanwhile, the North
Central Development Commission unveiled an ambitious 20-year plan to transform
the region's agriculture, minerals, infrastructure and human resources into
productive assets, investment and jobs.
The commission said investors see markets and supply chains
rather than state boundaries, and the region should operate as an integrated
economy instead of isolated state projects.
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