Chairman of the North Central Governors’ Forum and Governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule, has pledged to rally the support of his colleagues for the smooth take-off of the North Central Development Commission (NCDC), with headquarters in Lafia.

Governor Sule made the pledge on Tuesday while donating a fully furnished temporary office accommodation to the management of the commission in Lafia. He also announced the donation of residential housing for its officials.

He assured that he would mobilise governors in the region to present the peculiar challenges of their states to the commission, to enable it design a holistic development plan that addresses the needs of all.

“It is a known fact that each state in the region has its peculiar needs and challenges. There is, therefore, the need for us governors to meet with the commission to ensure that no state is shortchanged,” Sule said.

The governor praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for establishing the NCDC, pledging his administration’s support to ensure its success.

Earlier, Chairman of the commission, Cosmas Akighir, commended Governor Sule for his commitment to the commission’s take-off, describing him as a leader who has recorded remarkable infrastructural strides in the state.

He assured that the commission would collaborate with Nasarawa and other state governments in the region to tackle poverty and improve living standards through the implementation of its mandate. Akighir also appealed to the state government to provide land for the construction of a befitting secretariat for the commission.

On his part, the Managing Director of the NCDC, Dr. Cyril Tsenyil, said the commission would carry all stakeholders, including traditional rulers, along in its operations.

He pledged that the commission would focus on the peculiarities and challenges of every state in the region in executing its mandate.