Lagos: An economist, Prof. Jonathan Aremu, has stated that Nigeria’s newly unveiled five-year National Regional Development Policy holds significant potential to accelerate economic growth and reduce regional disparities if implementation challenges are effectively addressed. Aremu, a former member of the Coordinating Committee for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), shared these insights with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Aremu emphasized that the policy could be a powerful instrument for infrastructure development, attracting investment, and enhancing regional competitiveness. He noted that the regional development commissions are expected to complement the National Development Plan by addressing developmental imbalances and improving infrastructure delivery across the country’s geopolitical zones.
Aremu highlighted that the policy could promote inter-regional development, attract investments, and enhance Nigeria’s competitiveness within the ECOWAS an
d AfCFTA frameworks, provided it is managed properly. However, he also identified several challenges that could undermine the policy’s success, including overlapping responsibilities among federal, state, and local governments, inadequate funding, political interference, corruption, and weak technical capacity.
He warned that development commissions could duplicate existing government functions if clear operational boundaries and coordination mechanisms are not established. Aremu stressed the necessity of proper coordination between the commissions, states, and local governments to ensure that projects reflect the priorities of individual states and communities.
Aremu also raised concerns about funding, noting that many government agencies already face irregular budgetary allocations. He stressed that announcing a policy is insufficient without sustainable funding mechanisms and access to development finance from regional and international institutions.
Furthermore, he cautioned against political interfere
nce in project selection and resource allocation, advocating for transparency, accountability, and robust monitoring systems. Aremu noted that corruption, poor procurement practices, and financial mismanagement could erode public confidence in the commissions if not adequately addressed.
He also warned against unhealthy rivalry among regions, emphasizing that competition should drive development rather than create tensions over project locations and resource distribution. Drawing lessons from Nigeria’s regional development experience in the First Republic, Aremu recalled how healthy competition among regions contributed to achievements like the Cocoa House and free education initiatives in the old Western Region.
Aremu urged the government to develop zone-specific master plans, establish dedicated development funds, and create investment promotion frameworks capable of attracting private sector participation. He called for extensive stakeholder engagement involving traditional rulers, civil society groups,
youth organizations, women’s groups, chambers of commerce, and development partners.
He stressed the importance of aligning regional projects with national development goals, ECOWAS integration objectives, and AfCFTA opportunities. Aremu further advocated for a results-based monitoring and evaluation framework to track performance and ensure projects address the developmental needs that informed the establishment of the commissions.
On the role of state governments, Aremu said development priorities should originate from local governments and states before being harmonized at the zonal level. He noted that infrastructure deficits in transportation, energy, water, healthcare, education, and digital infrastructure should remain central to regional development efforts.
Aremu expressed optimism that with proper planning, adequate funding, transparency, and stakeholder participation, the policy could become a catalyst for inclusive and sustainable development across Nigeria.