The North East Development Commission (NEDC) has inaugurated seven infrastructure and capacity-building projects in Yobe, reaffirming its commitment to the reconstruction and long-term development of the North-East region.
Mr Mohammed Alkali, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NEDC, made this known during the inauguration in Damaturu on Monday.
He highlighted the key completed projects to include the new state office complex, ICT centres in Damaturu, Gashua, and Potiskum, and the newly built mega schools in Buni Yadi and Potiskum.
“We are decentralising our operations to bring development closer to the people.
“Yobe is the first state to receive a commissioned NEDC office among the six North-East states, reflecting the state’s readiness and partnership,” Alkali said.
He said NEDC had also constructed a 250-seat lecture auditorium at Yobe State University and installed solar streetlights in various communities to enhance security and promote nighttime economic activities.
Alkali said that 12 additional projects were at advanced stages of completion across the state and would soon be commissioned.
In his remarks, Gov. Mai Mala Buni of Yobe expressed appreciation for the NEDC’s developmental efforts.
He appealed for further support in road infrastructure, water supply, housing, and youth empowerment programmes.
Buni, represented by Baba Malam-Wali, the Secretary to the State Government called for the rehabilitation of strategic road corridors including the Damaturu–Mazagum and Gaidam–Damasak roads, and the expansion of potable water and shelter projects to support displaced communities.
Earlier, Mr Uba Ahmadu, the Minister of State for Regional Development, commended the commission for its consistency in delivering impactful projects in alignment with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“The NEDC has demonstrated unwavering commitment to the rehabilitation and development of communities affected by insurgency.
“These projects in Yobe reflect a deliberate effort to restore dignity and opportunity to citizens,” he said.
Ahmadu noted that the Ministry of Regional Development, established in October 2024 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was created to coordinate sustainable growth across Nigeria’s geo-political zones through regional development commissions.
“These commissions—NEDC, SEDC, NWDC, SSDC, SWDC, and NCDC—reflect Mr President’s vision of addressing regional disparities through targeted infrastructure, human capital development, and security interventions,” he said.
The minister outlined the federal government’s eight-priority intervention areas for the North-East to include security and stabilisation programmes, education and vocational training, and renewable energy initiatives.
Others are maternal and child health services, agro-industrial development, infrastructure rehabilitation, and humanitarian assistance.
Ahmadu also unveiled the plans for future transformative projects; these are the establishment of a North-East regional airline, and a rail line linking the region to Calabar port.
Others are a pharmaceutical company, a regional power utility firm, and integrated agricultural processing hubs.
“These initiatives are ambitious, but purpose driven. With continued support, the North-East will become a beacon of recovery and sustainable prosperity,” the minister said. (NAN)
