‘Project duplication must end’ – Minister pushes for unified national strategy
By Kunle Sanni
The Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh, has urged all regional development commissions to broaden their focus beyond traditional mandates by establishing centers of excellence in healthcare and other key sectors.
He made the call while delivering the keynote address at the Sectoral Retreat for leadership teams of the Ministry and the various Regional Development Commissions, held at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.
The Ministry supervises all regional development commissions: the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), North East Development Commission (NEDC), South East Development Commission (SEDC), and North West Development Commission (NWDC).
Emphasizing the need for a transformative approach, Momoh stated, “We must invest decisively in critical infrastructure—both physical and digital—to ensure seamless connectivity and accessibility across and within regions. Our agenda must prioritize roads, bridges, transportation links, investments, healthcare delivery, security, digital infrastructure, and youth and women empowerment.”
The Minister stressed that each commission must align with the national objective of equitable and sustainable development.
He noted that this alignment is key to delivering on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Addressing persistent challenges, Momoh highlighted recurring issues such as duplication of efforts, uncompleted projects, and inter-agency rivalry.
“This has to stop,” he declared, adding that a key outcome of the retreat must be a robust framework for national coordination—harmonizing project planning, funding, implementation, and reporting across all commissions.
