President Bola Tinubu has warned Nigeria’s Regional Development Commissions against wasting public funds on poorly conceived projects, declaring that the era of costly “white elephant” schemes with little benefit to citizens is over. Tinubu issued the warning on Monday while declaring open the first North Central Stakeholders Development Summit organised by the North Central Development Commission (NCDC) in Abuja. The President, represented by Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume, said regional commissions must focus on projects with clear objectives, realistic funding and measurable benefits for the communities they serve. “The era of white elephant projects is over, and there is no excuse for the Commissions to become another conduit for wasting public funds,” he said. Tinubu also cautioned the commissions against corruption, political interference, marginalisation and ethnic considerations in the allocation and execution of projects, warning that officials found responsible would face sanctions. He directed the Federal Government to ensure that funds due to the commissions are released promptly, while assuring them of continued political and financial support. “Government will continue to give the NCDC and other Regional Development Commissions the political and financial backing to embark on key projects that will unlock the economic and industrial potentials of the nation,” Tinubu said. “I therefore direct the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to ensure that all funds accruable to the Commissions are released as and when due.” However, the President urged the commissions to look beyond government allocations by attracting private investment, donor funding and development finance to expand their capacity. He said the commissions were established under his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda to tackle longstanding development disparities and accelerate economic opportunities across Nigeria’s regions. “For us, the establishment of these Commissions is not an end in itself. Rather, it is our way of looking at why development gaps still exist and trying to close them up for the benefit of our people,” he said. For the North Central region, Tinubu identified agriculture, agro-processing, solid minerals, industrialisation, security, education and healthcare as areas requiring urgent attention. The President urged stakeholders to use the summit to produce a practical development blueprint capable of guiding the region’s growth over the long term. The summit is centred on a proposed 20-year economic, infrastructure and social development plan for the North Central, with the theme, “The Great Leap Forward: A 20-Year Economic, Infrastructural and Social Development Plan for the North Central Region.” (Daily Trust)