By Salihu Tanko Yakasai
A few weeks ago, the South West Development Commission, working with the Nigerian Railway Corporation, announced an MoU to link all six states of the region by rail. The project will rely on statutory allocations, contributions from state governments and private-sector funding. The plan is now being prepared for presidential approval, and it’s hard to imagine it won’t sail through quickly.
That announcement, which could reshape the South West when fully implemented, made me turn to my own region and ask what progress the North West Development Commission has made since its establishment earlier this year. What I found was worrying.
Of all the six geopolitical-zone commissions, the North West is the only one without a functioning management structure. The Managing Director remains the sole appointee. There are no Executive Directors, no departmental heads, and not even temporary support staff to run basic operations. A board has been appointed, yes, but we all know the board’s role is oversight. The real work happens within management, and that management does not exist.
Funding is another major problem. Like the other newly created commissions (South West, South South, South East, and North Central Development Commissions) the NWDC has not received its statutory allocation (Eventhough it occasionally receives supports from here and there). It raises a basic question: why establish new institutions only to deny them the resources required to function? How is the NWDC expected to deliver on its mandate without the financial capacity to act?
To make matters worse, internal tension between the Board Chairman and the Managing Director is already slowing down the commission. There have been reports of the chairman inserting himself into the day-to-day running of the agency, which is clearly the responsibility of the MD. Routine decisions, such as choosing a temporary secretariat on Murtala Mohammed Way—a strategic and secure location near Bompai Police Command—have become contentious. Approvals for submissions from the MD have also faced delays. These issues are troubling for an institution that has not even begun full operations.
Yet, despite all this, the NWDC has drafted proposals across its core mandates: infrastructure, security, agriculture, human capital development, health and others. These ideas will never move beyond paper unless the foundational problems are solved.
For the commission to take off, the region needs decisive intervention. The management structure must be completed immediately, with Executive Directors and departmental heads appointed without further delay. The Federal Government should also release the statutory funds meant for the NWDC so it can establish a functional secretariat, hire staff, and begin implementing its proposals. And just as important, the roles of the Board and the MD need to be respected: the chairman provides oversight, while the Managing Director runs day-to-day operations in line with the Act that created the commission.
Just as crucial is the need for mediation among the leadership to resolve the ongoing friction that has already slowed progress. A small behind-the-scenes intervention by North West governors and other respected regional leaders could reset the relationship between the chairman and the MD. The commission should also adopt a transparent, public-facing approach by publishing short-term, mid-term and long-term action plans, in order to build trust and allow citizens to track progress.
This is why the North West must act decisively. Our governors, federal legislators, senior political leaders and other stakeholders need to step in quietly and fix these issues before the commission becomes another dormant institution. Other regions are already demonstrating what their commissions can achieve. The North West cannot afford to fall behind because of avoidable internal dysfunction.
The commission was created to address decades of underdevelopment. It cannot begin that work until the region demands the political will to let it function.