President Bola Tinubu has directed the timely release of funds due to the Regional Development Commissions, while warning their boards and management teams against corruption, waste and projects that fail to deliver direct benefits to citizens.

Tinubu gave the directive on Monday while declaring open the inaugural North Central Stakeholders Development Summit organised by the North Central Development Commission (NCDC) in Abuja.

Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, the President said the Federal Government would continue to provide political and financial support to the commissions to enable them implement projects aimed at unlocking the country’s economic and industrial potential.

He directed the SGF to ensure that funds accruing to the commissions were released as and when due.

Tinubu, however, advised the commissions to reduce reliance on government funding by exploring other legitimate financing options, including public-private partnerships, donor support and development finance.

He said the establishment of the Regional Development Commissions was part of the Renewed Hope Agenda and was intended to address persistent development gaps across the country.

The President stressed that the commissions were not created to take over or duplicate the responsibilities of federal, state or local governments but to complement existing efforts and close development gaps.

He urged the commissions to concentrate on projects that could unlock the potential of their respective regions and improve connectivity across the country.

Tinubu identified transportation infrastructure, industrialisation, security, investment, human capital development, education and healthcare as areas requiring attention.

He also directed the commissions to formulate clear, achievable and properly funded programmes, warning that the era of wasteful and oversized projects was over.

“The era of white elephant projects is over,” the President said, warning that the commissions must not become channels for the misuse of public resources.

He further tasked the Ministry of Regional Development with ensuring that the commissions complied with the Regional Development Policy Document, while urging the National Assembly to provide effective oversight.

Tinubu warned against corruption, marginalisation, politicisation and ethnic considerations in the operations of the commissions, stressing that offenders would face sanctions.

Speaking on the North Central, the President highlighted its potential in agriculture, food production and agro-processing, solid minerals, industrialisation, peace and security.

He said the region had remained below its full potential for too long and urged stakeholders at the summit to develop a clear strategy for accelerating its growth.

Tinubu also acknowledged the security challenges facing the region, saying the Federal Government had strengthened surveillance and intelligence gathering, deployed more security personnel, established additional formations and intensified the prosecution of criminals.

He said the government had also supported dialogue and reconciliation efforts as part of measures to restore stability.

The President charged the NCDC to complement these efforts, noting that sustainable development could not thrive without peace and security.

He described the summit’s theme, “The Great Leap Forward: A 20-Year Economic, Infrastructural and Social Development Plan for the North Central Region,” as timely and urged participants to ensure that the proposed plan reflected the needs and aspirations of the people.

Tinubu also cautioned against producing another development report that would be abandoned after the summit, urging the NCDC to ensure that recommendations translated into concrete implementation.