The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, says President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms, infrastructure investments and security initiatives are positioning the North Central region for accelerated economic growth. Idris made the assertion on Monday in Abuja at the first North Central Stakeholders’ Development Summit organised by the North……
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, says President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms, infrastructure investments and security initiatives are positioning the North Central region for accelerated economic growth.
Idris made the assertion on Monday in Abuja at the first North Central Stakeholders’ Development Summit organised by the North Central Development Commission (NCDC), according to a statement signed by Rabiu Ibrahim, Special Assistant (Media) to the Minister of Information and National Orientation.
The summit was held with the theme, “The Great Leap Forward: A 20-Year Economic, Infrastructural and Social Development Plan for the North Central Region.”
According to the Minister, the region’s agricultural land, solid mineral deposits, energy resources and strategic location provide opportunities for industrialisation, investment and job creation.
He cited several ongoing and approved federal infrastructure projects across the region, including the Buruku-Logo Bridge and Makurdi-Gboko Road in Benue State, the Mararaba-Keffi expansion and the Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe-Biu-Maiduguri Superhighway.
Others include the Calabar-Ebonyi-Benue-Nasarawa-Abuja Superhighway, the rehabilitated Gwada-Shiroro Road and the approved completion of the 71-kilometre Minna-Suleja Road in Niger State.
....: Tinubu Calls For Global Governance, Financial System Reforms At BRICS Summit
“These are not simply roads and bridges; they are economic infrastructure connecting farms to markets, reducing transportation costs and creating opportunities for trade and investment,” Idris said.
The Minister also highlighted the recently commissioned $250 million Diamond New Energy lithium mining and processing facility in Nasarawa State.
He said the facility reflects the Federal Government’s drive to move the country beyond raw mineral extraction towards processing, industrialisation and value addition.
Idris said the government was also expanding agricultural mechanisation, irrigation, financing, storage and processing to transform the North Central into a major agricultural and agro-industrial hub.
“For the North Central, Renewed Hope means connecting agriculture to agro-processing, minerals to manufacturing, energy to industry, skills to employment and infrastructure to markets,” he said.
On the economy, Idris said the Federal Government’s priority as Nigeria approaches 2027 is to translate the gains of its economic reforms into increased production, job creation, lower costs, higher incomes and improved living standards.
He also said the Tinubu administration was strengthening the Armed Forces and Police through additional recruitment, improved equipment, technology and intelligence, as well as stronger inter-agency coordination and strategic partnerships.
Idris cited the August rescue of 308 abducted Nigerians in Niger and Kwara States as evidence of improved intelligence-led collaboration among security agencies.
The Minister also expressed support for the establishment of State Police, saying a properly designed system with safeguards for professionalism and accountability would bring policing closer to communities while complementing federal security agencies.
He urged the NCDC to ensure that the 20-year development plan produces measurable results for people across the region.
“The ‘Great Leap Forward’ should ultimately be measured not by meetings held or documents produced, but by safer communities, productive farms, better infrastructure, new industries, expanding businesses, jobs for our young people and rising household prosperity,” Idris said.
Earlier, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, who represented President Tinubu at the summit, said the establishment of regional development commissions was aimed at accelerating development by addressing regional gaps and unlocking the potential of different parts of the country.
Akume urged the NCDC to focus on tangible projects in infrastructure, transportation, industrialisation, security, human capital, education and health, while leveraging public-private partnerships and development financing.
“Development must be about the people and not on paper. This Summit should not end up as one of those platforms where ideas are ventilated and reports generated only to be left gathering dust on the shelves,” he said.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NCDC, Cyril Tsenyil, said the summit was intended to mark a turning point in the development of the North Central by moving the region from fragmented state-level efforts towards a coordinated regional economy.
Tsenyil said the Commission would focus on agriculture and agro-processing, minerals, infrastructure, digital connectivity, small and medium-sized enterprises and regional economic corridors.
“The real question is: How do we convert this potential into productive assets, competitive businesses, quality jobs, and measurable improvements in the lives of our people?” he said.
