Abuja: 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.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, 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. Masha emphasized that regional development is central to President Bola Tinubu’s governance vision, describing it as ‘the backbone of national transformation’. She stated that the engagement would help participants explore strategic opportunities aligned with the government’s inclusive development drive, highlighting the potential of leveraging the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) Infrastructure Fund and expanding youth innovation through the Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (iDICE).
Masha also stressed the importance of strengthening resilience in fragile areas through co-created initiatives with the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC). The success of the RDCs, she noted, would depend on policy alignment, peer learning, sustainable financing, and strong collaboration among government institutions and development partners. Acknowledging the support of various entities, Masha mentioned 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.
Also speaking at the event, the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Sen. Ibrahim Hadejia, reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to bringing governance closer to the people. Representing Vice President Kashim Shettima, Hadejia emphasized that no nation could truly progress unless every region advanced at the same pace. He explained that the RDCs were designed to correct long-standing imbalances and accelerate region-specific development, acting as vehicles for development and platforms for peer review.
On his part, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, represented by Maj.-Gen. Adamu Laka, National Coordinator of the NCTC, called for coordinated regional growth among the six geopolitical zones. Ribadu observed that Nigeria’s regional diversity, while a strength, continued to present disparities that require deliberate policy responses. He highlighted the NCTC’s efforts in deepening continental partnerships, including hosting the African Union Peace and Security Council Committee of Experts for a capacity-building workshop alongside ambassadors from the AU. 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, underscoring the collaborative effort needed to ensure regional development contributes to national transformation.