Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, has called for stronger collaboration among stakeholders to unlock the economic potential of the North-West, urging the newly established North-West Development Commission to focus on practical results rather than plans on paper.
Speaking at the North-West Stakeholders Development Summit in Kaduna on Saturday, the governor said the region has the capacity to become a hub for agricultural productivity, agro-processing, commerce and skilled labour if efforts are properly coordinated.
He stressed that the summit must move beyond discussions and deliver measurable outcomes.
“Our people are not short of reports; they are short of results,” Sani said, urging participants to adopt actionable roadmaps, clear timelines and measurable targets.
The summit, organised by the Joint Senate and House Committee on the North-West Development Commission, was themed, “Advancing a Coordinated Regional Development Agenda for North-West Nigeria.”
Sani advised stakeholders to identify areas for immediate collaboration, clearly define the roles of federal, regional and state actors, and put accountability mechanisms in place.
According to him, development challenges in the region are interconnected and cannot be addressed in isolation.
“For too long, development planning in our region has been pursued in silos. Yet the challenges we face are inherently regional.
“Insecurity does not recognise state boundaries, and economic shocks in one state affect neighbouring communities,” he said.
The governor described the commission as a strategic partner to state governments, not a competitor, saying it can harmonise priorities, reduce duplication and achieve economies of scale.
He emphasised that human capital development must form the core of the region’s growth strategy, with education aligned to modern economic needs, skills training linked to jobs, and agriculture transformed from subsistence farming to value-added agribusiness.
“Industrialisation must be pursued through practical linkages between infrastructure, finance and markets,” he added.
Sani noted that the North-West’s youthful population presents a major opportunity if properly harnessed through investments in education and employment, warning that failure to do so could worsen unemployment and social instability.
He commended President Bola Tinubu for establishing the North-West Development Commission, saying regional disparities require dedicated institutions with clear mandates and long-term strategies.
Despite the zone’s contributions to agriculture, commerce and manpower, he said it still faces deficits in infrastructure, industrial growth and social services.
“The commission is designed as a vehicle for structural transformation capable of addressing these interconnected challenges in a coordinated and sustained manner,” he said, adding that its success would ultimately be measured by improvements in the lives of citizens.
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