President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the timely release of funds due to Nigeria’s Regional Development Commissions, warning their boards and management against corruption, waste and projects that do not directly benefit Nigerians, Peak Newspaper reports.
Tinubu gave the directive on Monday while declaring open the first North Central Stakeholders Development Summit organised by the North Central Development Commission (NCDC) in Abuja. He was represented at the event by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume.
The President directed the SGF to ensure that all funds accruable to the commissions are released as and when due, stressing that the commissions must use public resources to execute strategic projects capable of unlocking the economic and industrial potential of their respective regions.
He warned that the era of white-elephant projects was over, cautioning the commissions against becoming conduits for the waste or diversion of public funds.
Tinubu also urged the commissions not to depend solely on government allocations. He advised them to explore alternative sources of funding, including public-private partnerships, donor support and development financing, where permitted by law and government guidelines.
The President said the commissions were established under his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda to accelerate development and address longstanding infrastructure and economic gaps across the country.
He stressed that the commissions were not created to replace or duplicate the responsibilities of federal, state or local governments, but to complement their efforts and deliver projects that directly improve the lives of Nigerians.
