By Yusuf Zubairu,
The North-West Development Commission NWDC has identified restoration of security as the foremost priority in its intervention agenda for the region, saying peace and stability are essential for meaningful economic and social development.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, Prof. Abdullahi Shehu Ma’aji, disclosed this while featuring on the two-hour live phone-in Hausa programme, ‘Hannu Da Yawa’, on Radio Nigeria Kaduna.
Prof. Ma’aji said the Commission’s intervention plans would cover critical sectors, including education, healthcare, agriculture, environmental sustainability, job creation, and youth and women empowerment.
He explained that insecurity has far-reaching consequences for development, particularly by restricting access to farms, disrupting businesses, affecting school attendance and limiting investment opportunities.
“Helping to restore security in the North-West region remains the top priority of our intervention agenda. We cannot achieve education, agriculture or industrial growth if our people cannot go to their farms or sleep with their two eyes closed,” Prof. Ma’aji said.
On education, the NWDC boss announced plans for extensive intervention in school infrastructure across the seven states of the region, including the rehabilitation of dilapidated facilities and provision of modern learning materials.
“Our children are learning under trees and in dilapidated structures. The Commission will rehabilitate schools and provide modern learning materials to give our children the quality education they deserve,” he stated.
As part of efforts to stimulate economic activity and create employment, Prof. Ma’aji disclosed plans to establish a bank as a subsidiary of the Commission, while also working to revive moribund industries across the region.
“We are planning to establish a bank that will be owned by the Commission as a subsidiary and we will also resuscitate other moribund companies within the zone. This will help in improving the economy of the region and create thousands of jobs for our teeming youths,” he explained.
He said the Commission was also engaging potential investors within and outside Nigeria to unlock the region’s agricultural and human-resource potential, attract capital and support sustainable economic growth.
“We are wooing investors from within and outside the country. The North-West is blessed with vast arable land and human resources. We want to turn this potential into wealth,” he said.
The NWDC chief executive called for stronger collaboration among the Commission, state governments, traditional institutions, business leaders and other stakeholders to achieve its development objectives.
“We need the support of our governors, our traditional rulers and all wealthy sons and daughters of the North-West. The traditional rulers, the wealthy and elites have a critical role to play in ensuring the success of this Commission,” he appealed.
Prof. Ma’aji commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for establishing the Commission, describing it as a timely intervention aimed at addressing longstanding development challenges in the region.
“We must commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his foresight in establishing this Commission. Now we need prayers from all and sundry to ensure we succeed,” he added.
Callers who participated in the programme urged the Commission’s management to discharge its responsibilities with sincerity, accountability and the fear of God.
They also called for sustained attention to insecurity, challenges in the health and education sectors, and unemployment affecting communities across the North-West.
The programme was co-anchored by Mohammed Aminu Abdullahi Gombi and Umar S. Fada.
After the programme, the Acting Zonal Director Mohammed Aminu Abdullahi Gombi took Prof. Ma’aji on a tour of the Radio Nigeria Kaduna premises, including areas identified as requiring urgent intervention, before the two proceeded to a closed-door meeting.
