Development commissions’ MDs to sign performance bonds
The Federal Ministry of Regional Development has commenced a three-day retreat aimed at strengthening institutional coordination among Nigeria’s regional development commissions. The event which began on Thursday and runs through Saturday, is taking place in Lagos with the theme “Improving Institutional Coordination for Better Development Results.” The retreat is being held in collaboration with six […]
The Federal Ministry of Regional Development has commenced a three-day retreat aimed at strengthening institutional coordination among Nigeria’s regional development commissions.
The event which began on Thursday and runs through Saturday, is taking place in Lagos with the theme “Improving Institutional Coordination for Better Development Results.”
The retreat is being held in collaboration with six regional development commissions, including the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), North East Development Commission (NEDC), and the recently established North West Development Commission (NWDC).
The retreat is expected to end with the signing of performance charters by the participating commissions, formalizing their commitment to development targets and institutional accountability.
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Also in attendance are representatives from the proposed South East, South West, South South, and North Central Development Commissions.
Key participants include the Minister of Regional Development, Hon. Abubakar Momoh; Minister of State, H.E. Uba Maigari Ahmadu; the Permanent Secretary; directors from the ministry’s headquarters; and invited guests from the National Assembly.
In his opening remarks, Momoh emphasized the importance of legal and policy frameworks for the newly constituted commissions.
He acknowledged that while only four of the commissions are currently operational, efforts are underway to activate the remaining three.
“This retreat is organized to gather expert ideas that will enhance the activities of both the Ministry and the commissions,” Momoh said.
“A key challenge is the absence of a legal framework for the commissions. They lack constitutional or legislative power to take decisions independently and rely heavily on federal directives.”
The Minister also disclosed plans to align each commission’s deliverables with President Bola Tinubu’s eight presidential priorities.
According to him, performance benchmarks—similar to those signed by ministers with the President—will be introduced for the commissions before the end of the retreat.
Minister of State, Uba Maigari Ahmadu, described the retreat as a crucial step in building synergy between the ministry and the development commissions.
He stated that bringing stakeholders together was necessary for effective planning and project implementation.
“The ministry, as currently constituted, began operations just last October. This retreat is our first major step towards ensuring alignment between commissions and the ministry,” Ahmadu said.
He added that priority would be given to needs assessments, especially for newly established commissions like the NWDC, and that ongoing projects in other regions would be completed before initiating new ones.
Among upcoming projects mentioned is a 50-bed Women and Children Hospital, which the ministry plans to replicate across the regions.