Federal Govt Pushes Revenue Drive, Tightens Oversight Of Regional Commissions

The federal government has moved to reposition regional development commissions towards revenue generation, stricter accountability and infrastructure expansion.

The shift followed a sectoral retreat convened by the Ministry of Regional Development with heads of the commissions in Benin City, Edo State.

At the meeting, officials resolved to reduce dependence on statutory allocations by directing the commissions to invest in revenue-yielding assets and expand skills development programmes to drive jobs and local economies.

The government also ordered full compliance with procurement laws, public service rules and financial reporting standards to curb inefficiency and strengthen transparency.

Infrastructure development formed a key plank of the new direction, with priority on power supply, transport systems, industrial clusters and logistics to boost trade and regional competitiveness.

Minister of Regional Development, Engr. Abubakar Momoh said chief executives of the commissions would be held to strict performance targets tied to annual deliverables.

“Once a managing director signs a performance bond, accountability becomes non-negotiable,” he said.

The ministry also plans to convene a development partners’ forum within six months to unlock funding, while commissions are to appoint officers to drive access to grants and concessional financing.

The retreat further backed the implementation of the National Regional Development Policy (2026–2030) to guide planning, budgeting and execution across the commissions.