President Bola Tinubu on Monday met with the Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh, and the leadership of seven regional development commissions at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, to discuss strategies aimed at tackling insecurity and accelerating critical infrastructure development across Nigeria’s geo-political zones.
Briefing State House correspondents after the closed-door session, Momoh said the meeting focused on strengthening collaboration between the federal and state governments to deliver sustainable development, particularly in the areas of security, road rehabilitation, and regional integration.
“The commissions are not the chief executives of their respective regions, but they are mandated to complement the work of both the federal and state governments, especially in addressing security challenges,” he said.
The minister noted that several commissions were already contributing to regional infrastructure, citing examples of road rehabilitation projects currently underway through state initiatives, including the 10-kilometre repair on the Benin–Warri Road in Delta State and work along the Sapele–Ogorode corridor in Edo State.
He added that such partnerships would be expanded nationwide as newer commissions begin full operations.
Momoh explained that the development commissions have adopted a four-phase master plan designed to rebuild and connect economic clusters across Nigeria. The first phase focuses on security, the second on sustainability, while the current third phase prioritises infrastructure renewal and market access to spur local productivity and regional trade.
He attributed the deplorable condition of many federal roads to years of neglect and weak institutional capacity, noting that the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) had not been “fully alive to its responsibilities for nearly a decade.”
“We are now taking a holistic approach — linking communities, opening up markets, and improving mobility — all of which are essential to national security and development,” he said.
Funding Challenges and Presidential Intervention
Addressing concerns over delays in releasing take-off funds for some newly established development commissions, the minister revealed that securing the necessary financial backing formed part of the discussions with President Tinubu.
He assured that the administration remains committed to empowering the commissions to deliver on their mandates, stressing that sustainable regional development is a cornerstone of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The meeting comes amid growing calls for decentralised development initiatives to tackle rising insecurity, improve infrastructure, and strengthen governance across Nigeria’s six geo-political zones.
