The North-East Development Commission (NEDC) has ushered in year 2022 with stakeholders’ consultative forum for its ambitious development initiative for the region, tagged: ‘North East Stabilisation and Development Master Plan in Abuja.

The NEDC, charged with the responsibility to recover, stabilise and develop the region, among others, was established by President Muhammadu Buhari, as a direct response to the devastation and violence the Northeast region is suffering due to insurgency.

The NEDC Act 2017 designates the Commission as a focal point to coordinate and harmonise all interventions and initiatives involving the Federal Government in the region.

The Commission is equally mandated to develop a Master Plan that will guide its functions, programmes, projects and schemes, which is to be known as the North-East Stabilisation and Development Master Plan (NESDMP).

The Master Plan seeks to identify the needs of the region and spell out strategies, policies and remedial interventionist measures for addressing them on a short and long-term basis.

Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mohammed G. Alkali, while highlighting the relevance of the NESDMP at the stakeholders’ consultative session, described the event as the high point of engagement for the region.

In order to produce a holistic and acceptable Master Plan that can be implemented diversely and comprehensively in the North East, the Commission consulted relevant stakeholders in a bottom-up approach.

So far, engagements on the Master Plan were held in all the 112 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the region, as well as with humanitarian, development and peacebuilding actors, representatives of member states, CSOs/CBOs, and private and federal legislators from the zone.

“Both the localisation framework of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and the general mandate of the commission, as coordinating agencies in the region, made it imperative for the federal agencies to be actively involved in developing a Master Plan which, when approved, will serve as a compendium of relevant demand-driven, viable and sustainable schemes and programmes, which all stakeholders can vie into,” Alkali said.

The Master Plan contains programmes that are key to promoting and facilitating the physical and socio-economic development of the North East region, as well as provides an estimate of the time and cost of implementing the NESDMP.

He said: “At the Wednesday, January 26, 2022 interaction in Abuja, the NEDC presented an overview and current status of the Master Plan and sought to harness inputs from the MDA’s and security agencies for inclusion in the plan. I am happy to report that, so far, baseline surveys for needs assessments for the North East region have been completed. Also, the Draft NEDC and North East Strategy Documents and proposed pillars of the 10-year Master Plan are ready.”

Alkali acknowledged the support and inspirational guidance of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, which led to modest strides the Commission accomplished, like humanitarian assistance, recovery, stabilisation and peacebuilding.

He said: “We also have been enjoying maximum cooperation and support from the six-member state governments in the region.

“On this note, I wish to express our deep appreciation to the Chairman, North East Governors’ Forum, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, the Executive Governor of Borno State, and all his colleagues, for their relentless patronage. We hope that the collaboration and understanding will continue to work stronger.”

At the stakeholders’ engagement forum on the Master Plan in Abuja, Zulum urged state governors in the region to work together towards actualisation of the plan. He appreciated the interest, support and consistency of action from the Federal Government.

Zulum said: “We all understand the enormity of the needs and the crucial role consistent investment can play in bringing back not just peace and stability but also a prosperity of the North East and Nigeria. This is where this Master plan comes into cardinal importance.”

He announced that each of the respective states in the North East will make available plans for the purpose of alignment and synergy that will deliver better quality service to the people.

The governor said: “The Master Plan will outlive our regime. It is indeed meant to be a testament to our doggedness to rise from the ashes of destruction into the bright and welcoming place of peace and development. I believe this echoes the minds of my fellow governors and good people of the region.”

Farouq said though the master plan is still at the implementation stage, different projects have already commenced towards rebuilding the region.

She said: “Despite being in the process of developing the Master Plan, I am pleased to state that the NEDC has not been static and continues to leave its footprints across all the North East states with life-changing projects and programmes for our citizens.”

The minister also urged stakeholders to speed up action towards actualization of the Plan.

National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Monguno, stated the commitment of the executive arm of government to achieve the goals of the Master Plan. He said despite the obvious challenges, security agencies are up to the task of restoring peace in the region.

The NSA vowed that rogue elements, such as criminals, terrorists and bandits, will not be allowed to destroy North East infrastructural projects being put in place. He said the security enterprise would provide 100 per cent support to the Commission, even as he stressed that NEDC had recorded a lot of progress in rebuilding the crisis-hit region.

Under the 10-year Master Plan, NEDC is also establishing an ambitious Education Endowment Fund (EEF) with a seed capital of N6 billion.

Board Chairman of NEDC, Maj-Gen. Paul Tarfa (rtd), said the fund could be replenished yearly with 10 per cent of the Commission’s budget.

“The regional Master Plan will come up with a proposed financing strategy. However, due to the present economic realities, the burden of implementing the Master Plan will be huge. The cost of rebuilding the Northeast is high; hence all stakeholders both in the private and public sectors need to garner resources to achieve that. Therefore, it is imperative that some critical and timely steps are taken in this direction,” he said.

He added: “The 2016 Report on Recovery and Peace Building Assessment (RPBA) on the crisis in the North East Region produced by the Nigerian government, World Bank, United Nations and European Union shows that property worth $9 billion were destroyed in the region. Up to $6.7 billion was the estimated cost of recovery and peacebuilding across the six affected states in the region for four years only.”

He urged the government to open up the vast commercial and trade corridors across North East states’ borders with neighbouring countries and foster links and cooperation towards the improvement of livelihood and general socio-economic development of the wider Lake Chad Basin region.

As part of the stakeholders’ consultation and engagement meeting, a technical session was held and groups were formed for effective participation and contributions.

Furthermore, the views and opinions of the stakeholders were sought through the administration of questionnaires at the session to derive an acceptable and all-inclusive Master Plan.