FG pushes regions toward diversification, economic independence

The Federal Government has tasked the seven regional development commissions with the need for economic diversification and self-sufficiency across the regions.

This was contained in a communique released on a Saturday by the Head of Information and Public Relations, Sani Datti, after a two-day retreat by the Ministry of Regional Development, in collaboration with the regional development commissions in Benin City, Edo State.

The two-day high-level retreat, themed “Generating Fresh Ideas to Unlock the Potential of the Regions,” brought together key stakeholders across government, including the leadership of all seven regional development commissions, National Assembly representatives, development partners, and senior public sector officials.

According to the communique, the Federal Government also used the retreat to set a decisive course for accelerated regional development.

The communique added, “The gathering focused on strengthening governance systems, enhancing institutional collaboration, and unlocking new financing pathways for sustainable development.

“At the heart of the discussions was a clear consensus: Nigeria’s regional development architecture must evolve to deliver measurable economic impact.

“Participants emphasised strict adherence to governance frameworks, including the Public Procurement Act, Public Service Rules, international accounting standards, and the Code of Conduct, as essential to restoring transparency, accountability, and efficiency in public service delivery.

“The retreat also produced far-reaching resolutions aimed at transforming the operations of the regional development commissions.

“These include strengthening the oversight functions of governing boards, institutionalising capacity-building programmes, and ensuring alignment between annual procurement plans and budget cycles.

“A major highlight was the strong push for economic

diversification and self-sufficiency across regions.

“The commissions were directed to invest in revenue-generating assets beyond statutory allocations, while also scaling up skills acquisition programmes in areas such as agriculture and small-scale enterprise development to create jobs and stimulate local economies.

“Additionally, there is a need to undertake structured stakeholder engagement across the regions on budgets, projects, and service delivery within the constituent states, involving key actors such as governors, traditional rulers, youth groups, and women’s associations.”

The communique added that infrastructure development emerged as a critical priority, as participants underscored the need for investments in electricity generation, intermodal transport systems, industrial clusters, and logistics networks to unlock trade and enhance regional competitiveness.

“These interventions are expected to strengthen linkages between production zones and both domestic and international markets.

“Equally significant was the call for stronger engagement with development partners.

“The ministry committed to convening a development partner engagement forum within six months, while each commission is to designate a dedicated officer to facilitate access to international funding, grants, and concessional financing aligned with climate resilience and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” it added.

At the close of the retreat, the minister, Abubakar Momoh, reiterated the ministry’s pledge to drive coordinated, results-oriented regional growth.

He added, “We must strengthen regular, close coordination between the ministry, the commissions, board members, and management through smaller, more frequent engagements.

“Going forward, all our actions will be firmly tied to the deliverables assigned to the ministry at the start of the year.

“Once a managing director signs the performance bond, accountability becomes non-negotiable as you are required to report consistently and transparently on your deliverables.”

The retreat further reinforced the urgency of finalising and implementing the National Regional Development Policy 2026–2030, which will serve as the central framework guiding strategic plans, annual work programmes, and budget execution across all commissions.

An inter-agency implementation committee is expected to be established to monitor progress and ensure policy coherence.