Minister Links Regional Development To Security, Governance, Accountability

Minister of State for Regional Development, Uba Maigari Ahmadu, has linked effective regional development to security, strong governance, and accountability, stating that these elements are critical to addressing long-standing development imbalances across Nigeria.

Ahmadu spoke in Abuja yesterday, at the inauguration of the Core Working Group (CWG) on Regional Development, a platform established by the Ministry of Regional Development to strengthen policy coordination, institutional effectiveness and inclusive growth across the country.

He stated that the creation of the Ministry of Regional Development and the Regional Development Commissions under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was a deliberate national strategy to address regional disparities while responding to evolving socio-economic and security challenges.

According to him, the development commissions are strategic instruments for closing development gaps and ensuring that regional growth initiatives are aligned with local realities and national priorities.

The minister emphasised that regional development policies must be locally grounded, secure, accountable, and sustainable, noting that a region-by-region approach would enable interventions to reflect local needs, priorities, and comparative advantages.

He added that security considerations must be integrated into regional development planning to promote peace-building, community resilience and long-term stability.

Ahmadu further emphasised the need for strong governance and accountability mechanisms, including clear performance indicators, effective monitoring systems and transparent processes that align with national development plans and global best practices.

In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr Mary A. Ogbe, described the inauguration of the CWG as a significant step toward strengthening the ministry’s institutional capacity and improving service delivery.

“This marks a concrete step in our collective effort to promote balanced, inclusive and sustainable regional development across Nigeria,” Ogbe said.

She explained that the CWG would serve as the ministry’s technical backbone, providing evidence-based inputs and ensuring coherence across departments.

She added that the inauguration coincided with the commencement of a Rights and Results-Based Management training aimed at improving the planning, implementation and measurement of regional development policies.

In a keynote address delivered on behalf of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Hamidu Poufon, Chief Social Policy Officer, stated that the Ministry of Regional Development plays a central role in achieving equitable and inclusive development across Nigeria’s regions.

Poufon said the UNDP would provide technical support to the ministry, noting that balanced regional development is essential to the successful implementation of the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.