THE AFRICAN Youth Assembly for Peace (AYAP), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), says the establishment of the North Central Development Commission (NCDC) will address the region’s infrastructure deficits and drive the nation’s economic growth.
Mr Abdul-Aziz Yusuf, Head of Public Relations of the group, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
Yusuf said, “It is important to note that the commission is being established to address the region’s infrastructure deficits, thus, the NCDC is expected to drive economic growth, improve living standards, and enhance security.
“This is a game-changer for the North Central region, we strongly believe that the NCDC will bring development in the areas of transportation, roads network, healthcare delivery.”
The group’s spokesman said that the region was currently contributing 40 per cent of Nigeria’s food security and solid mineral resources, hence the need to create such institution to streamline development.
While commending President Bola Tinubu’s administration for expanding regional development commissions, he said the commission would contribute significantly in the areas of infrastructure.
According to him, the NCDC will also improve education, enhance energy efficiency, boosting water supply and sanitation, expand the region’s hydroelectric potentials, job creation, support renewable energy.
He therefore warned stakeholders not to allow the new commission to be a cash cow for unpatriotic individuals for their selfish gains.
“We must ensure that corruption, political interference, funding constraints, and bureaucratic bottlenecks should not be allowed in the commission,” he said. (NAN)
