…Seeks End To Stalled Infrastructure Across Regions
…Warns Against Abandoned Projects, Overlapping Mandates
The Federal Government has directed regional development commissions across the country to halt the initiation of new projects until ongoing ones are completed, in a fresh move aimed at addressing stalled infrastructure, duplication of efforts and institutional rivalry.
The Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh, issued the directive on Thursday in Benin, Edo State, at a two-day sectoral retreat involving the leadership of the ministry, boards and management of the seven regional development commissions, as well as members of the National Assembly.
The retreat, themed “Fresh ideas to unlock the potential of the region,” was convened to strengthen coordination, improve project delivery and align development efforts with the Federal Government’s geo-spatial and multi-sectoral development strategy under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Momoh said the commissions were created to drive balanced economic growth across Nigeria’s regions through targeted investments in infrastructure, social services and human capital development, but warned that inefficiencies were undermining their mandate.
According to him, persistent cases of abandoned projects, duplication of efforts and inter-agency rivalry must be urgently addressed to ensure value for public resources.
“One of the recurring challenges we face is duplication of efforts, uncompleted projects and inter-agency rivalry,” the minister said.
“This has to stop. New projects must only commence when existing ones are substantially completed and assessed for impact.
“I will also admonish the regional development commissions to ensure they complete a project before embarking on another.”
Momoh stressed that the new directive was aimed at enforcing accountability and ensuring that public infrastructure projects are not left abandoned across the country.
He urged the commissions to prioritise critical sectors such as roads, bridges, transport networks, healthcare delivery, security support systems, digital infrastructure, and youth and women empowerment programmes.
He further called for stronger alignment between the commissions and the Federal Government’s broader objective of equitable and sustainable national development, noting that coordination was key to achieving measurable impact.
Beyond physical infrastructure, the minister said the commissions should also consider establishing centres of excellence in healthcare and other strategic sectors to improve service delivery across regions.
“We must invest decisively in critical infrastructure—physical and digital—to ensure seamless connectivity and accessibility across and within regions,” he said.
Momoh described the retreat as more than a routine engagement, adding that it represented a renewed commitment to reposition regional development efforts for greater efficiency and impact.
“It is a significant milestone in reaffirming our shared responsibility to transform our regions into zones of prosperity, peace and opportunity,” he added.
He also disclosed plans by the ministry to introduce a peer-review mechanism among the commissions to promote accountability, performance benchmarking and healthy competition.
The minister urged participants to use the retreat to critically assess operational challenges, deepen collaboration and improve service delivery across all levels.
“Let us leave here with renewed energy, clear commitments and a shared determination to deliver on the promises we owe to our regions and our people,” he said.
In his remarks, Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, called for stronger coordination among stakeholders to ensure effective implementation of the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Represented by Deputy Governor Dennis Idahosa, the governor noted that Nigeria’s uneven development trajectory made fresh thinking and stronger collaboration necessary to drive national progress.
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