Governor Bago Tasks NCDC On Insecurity, Climate Challenges In North Central

Niger State Governor Umaru Bago has called on the North Central Development Commission (NCDC) to prioritise addressing insecurity, communal clashes and the effects of climate change across the region as part of its intervention programmes.

The governor made the call when he received the Chairman of the Governing Board of the NCDC, Cosmas Akighir; the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Cyril Tsenyil; and other members of the Board and Management of the Commission on a courtesy visit to the Government House, Minna.

Governor Bago commended the leadership of the newly established Commission for embarking on a tour of member states to identify areas of partnership, describing the initiative as a step towards building a strong foundation for regional development.

He urged the Commission to focus on critical challenges confronting the region, particularly insecurity and recurring farmer-herder conflicts.
The governor also advocated the convening of a meeting of North Central governors to provide a platform for discussing the peculiar developmental challenges facing the region and to chart a common direction for the Commission’s interventions.

According to him, such engagement would enable the NCDC to develop programmes that respond directly to the needs of the people.

Bago highlighted the impact of climate change on Niger State, noting that the annual overflow from the state’s four hydroelectric dams has continued to destroy communities, farmlands and critical infrastructure.

He said the recurring disasters informed the state’s demand for a 13 per cent derivation from the Federal Government as compensation for hosting the dams that generate a significant portion of Nigeria’s electricity.

The governor also called on the Commission to invest substantially in agriculture and education, describing both sectors as essential drivers of sustainable development, economic growth and social stability.

He assured the Commission of the state’s commitment to supporting its activities by providing a liaison office and other logistics required for its smooth operations.

In his address, Tsenyil said the visit formed part of the Commission’s strategic engagement with states in the North Central zone aimed at strengthening collaboration with state governments and identifying development priorities. He described Niger State as a strategic state with enormous agricultural, mineral and energy resources that are critical to the economic growth of the region and the country.

Tsenyil said the Commission, established under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, is committed to complementing the efforts of state governments by implementing sustainable development programmes in key sectors, including transportation, healthcare, education, agriculture, water resources, electricity, industrialisation and telecommunications. He added that the Commission was also developing frameworks to attract private sector investments into critical sectors across the region.

He expressed the Commission’s readiness to partner with the Niger State Government in agriculture, irrigation, rural roads, agro-processing, energy development and industrialisation while sympathising with the state over the loss of lives and property caused by banditry and other security challenges.

Tsenyil assured the governor that the NCDC would work with relevant stakeholders to support peace-building, rehabilitation of affected communities and sustainable development across the North Central region.

For Akighir, the visit was part of efforts to formally introduce the leadership of the Commission to member states and strengthen partnerships that would ensure the successful implementation of its mandate.

He commended Bago for his achievements in agriculture, infrastructure and governance and reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to working closely with Niger State to unlock its vast development potential.