The Northwest zone of Nigeria, spanning seven states (Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, and Zamfara) across approximately 216,065 square kilometers, faces significant challenges.
Once a bastion of peace and commerce, the area has been severely impacted by insecurity, affecting five out of its seven states. This shift has transformed the zone from a thriving hub of trade and agriculture to one grappling with safety concerns.
Despite its vast untapped mineral resources the North-west remains impoverished. Approximately 80% of the population relies on farming, pastoralism, or small-scale entrepreneurship.
For almost a decade North-west has been ravaged by increasingly violent criminal gangs, responsible for mass abductions, farm seizures, and widespread internal displacement. This escalating violence has fueled growing instability, affecting millions of people.
Tasks Before NWDC:The Northwest Development Commission (NWDC) must remain resolute and focused on its core objectives, unwavering in its commitment to addressing the zone’s challenges. The commission’s objectives include: promoting economic development, improving infrastructure, enhancing social services (education, healthcare)
Others are fostering regional collaboration, addressing security challenges, encouraging investment and reducing poverty and inequality.
Strict adherence to these objectives will undoubtedly enhance the lives of citizens in the North-west zone.
To address these issues, the NWDC must collaborate with stakeholders to enhance safety and stability, foster economic growth through agriculture, commerce, and infrastructure development, improve access to education, healthcare, and social welfare programmes. By tackling these challenges, NWDC can help revitalise the zone and improve the lives of its citizens
There is a pressing need for the commission to hold public town hall stakeholder meetings across the seven states. This will enable the commission to gain a deeper understanding of the needs and concerns of ordinary citizens in the zone.
The media enlightenment could involve: public awareness campaigns, information dissemination on NWDC’s objectives and initiatives, other community outreach programmes, collaborations with local media outlets and new media engagement. This would help educate citizens about NWDC’s goals, progress, and impact, fostering transparency and trust.
Recently, the members of the commission paid a courtesy visit to Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna state. During the visit, the managing director of the commission, Prof. Shehu Ma’aji highlighted the commission’s priority areas. He emphasised NWDC’s commitment to collaborating with state governments to drive measurable progress in these key sectors.
I am delighted to learn that the commission will collaborate closely with the zone’s governors to develop a comprehensive 10-year masterplan aimed at driving integrated growth across the North-west. In my view, the commission’s courtesy visits to the governors, beginning with Kaduna state, is a step in the right direction.
Abba Dukawa write in from Abuja can be reached at abbahydukawa@gmail.com
Professor Shehi Maji Managing Director & CEO NWDC