By Funmilayo Adeyemi
Dr Mariam Masha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Regional Programmes, has reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening balanced and inclusive regional development.
Masha made the remark on Thursday at a High-Level Stakeholders’ Engagement on Regional Development in Abuja.
She said regional development remained central to President Bola Tinubu’s governance vision, calling it ‘the backbone of national transformation’.
According to her, the establishment of Regional Development Commissions (RDCs) across the six geopolitical zones is a major step towards addressing infrastructure deficits, environmental degradation, insecurity, and socio-economic disparities.
“We have heard strong messages reminding us that regional development is not a separate agenda, but the backbone of Nigeria’s national transformation.
“It is how we ensure that growth is shared, opportunities are broadened, and no region is left behind,” she said.
Masha said the engagement would help participants explore strategic opportunities aligned with the government’s inclusive development drive.
She listed such opportunities to include leveraging the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) Infrastructure Fund and expanding youth innovation through the Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (iDICE).
She added that they would also strengthen resilience in fragile areas through co-created initiatives with the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC).
She stressed that the success of the RDCs would depend on policy alignment, peer learning, sustainable financing, and strong collaboration among government institutions and development partners.
Masha acknowledged the support of the NCTC, the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, UNICEF, technical partners, and the Federal Ministry of Regional Development.
She added that the engagement marked the beginning of a broader process, with regional clinics and operational sessions scheduled in the coming weeks to translate the dialogue into measurable impact.
“Together, we are laying the foundation for a Nigeria that grows not from the centre outward, but from its regions inward; strong, inclusive, and united in purpose,” she said.
Also speaking, the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Sen. Ibrahim Hadejia, restated the Federal Government’s commitment to bringing governance closer to the people.
Hadejia, who represented Vice President Kashim Shettima, said no nation could truly progress unless every region advanced at the same pace.
He emphasised that the RDCs were designed to correct long-standing imbalances and accelerate region-specific development.
“These commissions are vehicles for development and platforms for peer review. Each attends to the peculiar needs of its region, and together they form an orchestra of progress whose harmony shapes our national transformation,” he said.
He further underscored the need for context-specific strategies rather than one-size-fits-all solutions.
On his part, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, called for coordinated regional growth among the six geopolitical zones.
Ribadu, represented by Maj.-Gen. Adamu Laka, National Coordinator, NCTC, said Nigeria’s regional diversity, though a strength, continued to present disparities requiring deliberate policy responses.
He said the NCTC was deepening continental partnerships, hosting the African Union Peace and Security Council Committee of Experts for a capacity-building workshop alongside ambassadors from the AU.
According to him, these engagements build on a Memorandum of Understanding signed in September to strengthen cooperation on counterterrorism, stabilisation, and policy harmonisation.
Participants were urged to pursue actionable strategies to strengthen the RDCs, promote inclusivity, and deliver measurable outcomes. (NAN)
Edited by Tosin Kolade
