It is a mixed grill for the Regional Development Commissions set up by the administrations of the former president, the late President Muhammadu Buhari and his successor, Bola Tinubu. The late President Buhari established the North East Development Commission (NEDC) in 2017, following a bill sponsored by the Senator representing Borno South, Senator Ali Ndume and signed into law by President Buhari.
The NEDC was unequivocal in its mission: ‘To assess, coordinate, and harmonise all intervention programs and initiatives aimed at revitalising the North-Eastern Geo-political zone, following the havoc wreaked in the region by the Boko Haram insurgents.’
Shortly after, other zones that did not want to be left out also sponsored various bills which gave birth to similar Commissions in the South West, South East, North West, North East and the North Central with similar mandates and are supervised by the Ministry of Regional Developments.
A Sunday Telegraph investigation revealed that, except for the North East Development Commission, others have yet to take off almost one year after they came into being.
In its efforts to achieve its mandate, the NEDC has made interventions in the areas of supporting Internally Displaced Persons (IDP), rebuilding public and private infrastructure, skill acquisition training and provision of working tools, drilling of boreholes, provision of Solar street lights, procurement of security vehicles, procurement of earth moving equipment, Construction at Alau, Dam, Maiduguri, construction of over 20 kilometers of Jere roads, provision of electric and CNG buses and tricycles.
The Commission has been living up to expectation of the people of the region, especially Borno State, where IDPs benefited from their interventions. A resident of Ngom, a settlement rebuilt by the NEDC, Mallam Abubakar Ibrahim, said the Commission has rebuilt their community, with the provision of schools, clinics, a police station, market stalls, among other facilities.
“We thank God. The NEDC has impacted our lives and has been living up to the expectations of the establishment. We thank them for transforming our communities; if not for the commission, we don’t know how we would have been, because the members of Boko Haram insurgents have destroyed our community completely,” Ibrahim said.
Another beneficiary, from Bama town, Bulam Buhari said: “The NEDC in collaboration with Borno State government through Obama Initiative, have rebuilt our town which was destroyed by the insurgents.” A resident of Dysman said the NEDC has “opened our area with the construction of Jere Bowl roads that link Dysman, Zabarmari, Limanti and Gwangong,” stressing that they now move their goods and farm produce freely.
“This road has boosted economic activities in our communities; we can now move our farm produce easily. We thank the NEDC for their interventions,” he added. The NEDC’s impact is not limited to Maiduguri alone, its regional headquarters. It has also recorded significant milestones in Bauchi State since its establishment.
These interventions cut across infrastructure, environment, youth empowerment, humanitarian support, and health and climate change mitigation. Infrastructure Development In the area of infrastructure, the NEDC has played a critical role in improving connectivity and economic activities in Bauchi State.
Notable achievements include the reconstruction of two major bridges along the Bauchi–Gombe highway, a key route linking the state to neighbouring Gombe. The Commission also constructed a modern cattle market at Soro in Ganjuwa Local Government Area, boosting livestock trade and supporting rural livelihoods.
Ongoing projects include road construction, particularly along the Kirfi–Gombe Abba axis, and interventions in tertiary institutions. The Commission has partnered with the Bauchi State Government on waste management and environmental sustainability initiatives.
In collaboration with the Bauchi State Environmental Protection Agency (BASEPA), NEDC organised capacitybuilding programmes on efficient waste management and recycling for scavengers and waste vendors. These initiatives align with the state’s plan to generate up to 10,000 megawatts of electricity through the incineration of solid waste, following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Powerdot UK.
The project, expected to commence after the conclusion of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), is aimed at addressing waste challenges while improving power supply in parts of Bauchi metropolis.
Non-release of the budget stalls operations at the North Central Development Commission (NCDC) The North-Central Development Commission (NCDC) headquartered in Lafia, which had formerly taken off when it formerly took over the temporary office accommodation donated by the Nasarawa State government late last year, is yet to begin execution of projects.
Sunday Telegraph gathered that this was perhaps a result of the non release of the commission’s budget by the Federal Government. The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the North Central Development Commission (NCDC), Dr. Cyril Tsenyil, had assured that the commission would be fair and give all the states their due share of projects in its operations.
He gave the assurance at a press conference recently in Lafia, saying the commission would not give in to the sentiment of religion, tribe and ethnicity, but would carry all states and stakeholders along in carrying out its mandate.
The Managing Director disclosed that the 19-member board had embarked on a series of engagements, consultations and preparations for the takeoff of the commission since it was inaugurated on August 28, 2025, by the Minister of Regional Development, Engr. Abubakar Momoh.
He promised that the board would do its best in ensuring that it fulfills the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President Ahmed Bola Tinubu-led Federal government.
Giving highlight of the mandates of the commission, Tsenyil disclosed the objectives of the commission to include; conceive, plan and implement projects and programmes for the sustainable development of the North Central States of Nasarawa, Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Plateau and the FCT in areas of transportation including roads, health, education, employment, agriculture, industrialisation, housing and urban development, water supply, electricity and telecommunications.
“To prepare master plans and schemes designed to promote the physical development of the North Central States, as well as to identify factors inhibiting the development of the region.
“The Act also mandates us to assess and report on any project being funded or carried out in the North Central States by mineral extracting and mining companies, oil and gas producing companies, and any other company, including non-governmental organisations and ensure that funds released for such projects are properly utilised.
Also, we are allowed to tackle ecological and environmental problems that arise from the extraction and mining of solid minerals, exploration of oil minerals in the North Central States and advise the Federal Government and the member states on the preventive lines of action,” he said.
