As Implementation of North-east Stabilisation Development Master Plan Begins

After years of devastation by the Boko Haram insurgency, the North East Development Commission, NEDC, last week launched the Stabilisation Development Masterplan for the region which will gulp the sum of N32 trillion over 10 years period. Adedayo Akinwale writes

In 2002, when  the Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah wa’l-Jihād, otherwise known as Boko Haram was founded by Mohammed Yusuf, little was known about the terror group. The main goal was to “purify”  Islam in Northern Nigeria, believing jihad should be delayed until the group was strong enough to overthrow the Nigerian government.

Yusuf, the leader of the terror group was killed in 2009. After his death, he was succeeded in July 2010 by his former second-in-command, Abubakar Shekau.

Unlike the way the military was able to crush the uprising of the  Maitatsine movement  led by Muhammadu Marwa in 1985, Boko Haram has been able to thrive despite government onslaught.

The havoc wrecked by the terror group on the region is unprecedented given that the Boko Haram insurgency no

doubt has led to  the death of about 350,000 deaths, displaced over 14.8 million people, and left millions needing humanitarian assistance.

Establishment of NEDC

It was the need to respond to the dire humanitarian needs of the people of the North-east which has been devastated by the insurgency that led to the creation of the North-east Development Commission (NEDC).

The NEDC Act mandates the Commission to liaise with Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies, States and Development Partners on the implementation of all measures approved in the Master Plan for the stabilisation and development of the North-East Zone by the Federal Government. It also requires the NEDC to interface with Development Partners (Local or International) and Non-Governmental Organisations to ensure synergy with other Stakeholders in line with the Master Plan’. 

Validation of  North-east Stabilisation and Development Masterplan

Speaking at the meeting on validation of the North-east Stabilisation and Development Masterplan (NESDMP), the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha  said in less than four years since its establishment, the Commission has made great strides towards achieving its mandate of managing funds for recovery, stabilisation, and paving a path towards long-term social-economic development of the North-east region. 

He pointed out that in implementing the Humanitarian Development Peacebuilding (HDP) nexus, NEDC has covered much ground with viable, demand-driven, and impactful projects that are changing the landscape of the region.

Mustapha explained that the North-east NESDMP was a holistic roadmap for recovery, stabilisation, expansion, and long-term socio-economic development of the region. He revealed that the implementation of the North-east Development plan would gulp the sum of  $80 billion, which is  equivalent to N31.05 trillion over the period of 10 years.

He said: “We have just learned that the cost of implementing the eleven Pillars of the ten-year NESDMP is N31.05 trillion or about US $80 Billion, which is a colossal amount. At this juncture, I wish to call on all stakeholders in the Public and Private Sectors, Development Partners, especially Donors, to garner resources and invest optimally in the richly endowed but least-exploited North-east Region. 

“Going forward, the federal government will swiftly approve the Regional Plan for immediate implementation by all relevant stakeholders.”

To the SGF, the NEDC  has turned out to be one of the important projects of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration. 

While congratulating the  Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management & Social Development, Sadiya Farouq and the Board and Management of NEDC for producing the NESDMP, Mustapha called for the immediate  commencement of the implementation of the Master Plan  with due diligence, dedication, and dexterity through the deployment of all appropriate monitoring, evaluation and coordination competencies and tools. 

On his part, the Chairman, NEDC, Major General Paul Tarfa (rtd), described the launch of the Master Plan as apt towards finding lasting solutions to challenges caused by the insurgents. He said the program would improve nutrition, hygiene as well as providing scholarships for  people to study the remote causes of violent extremism and the way forward.

Holistic Roadmap

In the same vein, the Managing Director of NEDC, Mohammed Alkali said in order to achieve the aim of the establishment of NEDC, the Act provides that the Commission shall “develop a Master Plan based on the needs assessment of the zone to be known as the North-East Stabilization and Development Master Plan’’. 

He explained that the Master Plan is to contain programmes and schemes that promote and facilitate the physical and Socio-Economic Development of the North-east Zone as well as provide estimates of the time and costs of implementing the programmes and schemes

However, to produce a holistic roadmap that could be implemented diversely and comprehensively in the North-east, Alkali said the Commission in addition to baseline studies, conducted across the zone, consultations and engagements on the Master Plan were held at grassroots level in all the 112 LGAs in the Zone, as well as with Humanitarian, Development and Peacebuilding (HDP) Actors, CSOs/CBOs and the Private Sector at the Regional Level, Federal Legislators from the North-East, Federal MDAs, the Military, Police, Security Agencies amongst others.

He said the proposed 10-year NESDMP also encapsulates relevant aspects of President Muhammadu Buhari plan, Development Plans of Member States, Sectoral Development Plans and Roadmaps of Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA), and align with projects being executed by development partners in the  zone. 

His words: “The validation event we are witnessing today signifies the endpoint of production of the NESDMP, a document culminating from baseline studies and robust engagements with all critical Stakeholders.”

 “It runs from 2020 to 2030 in four implementation phases; Recovery & Stabilisation (2020 – 2021), Renewal (2022 – 2023), Expansion (2024 – 2025) and Sustainable Growth (2026 – 2030). 

“It consists of 11 Pillars – Peaceful Society; Leadership in Agriculture;  Healthy Citizens; Educated Populace; Flourishing Trade; Productive Entrepreneurs; Purposeful Infrastructure; Industrialisation; Memorable Experience; Protected Environment; Connected Region.

“Its cost of implementation is forecasted at N31.05 trillion about (USD 80 billion); substantially coming from the Private Sector. It contains over 500 Schemes/Programmes/Projects.”

The Managing Director further revealed that  the Commission had been executing modest projects that are necessary for humanitarian assistance, recovery, stabilisation, peacebuilding, and development of the region the  interventions of the commission  cut across various sectors – education, health, WASH, agriculture, transport, housing, youth empowerment, reintegration, social cohesion, and capacity building, among others. 

In addition to that, he said due to Nigeria’s commonalities with neighbouring countries in terms of fragility and ongoing crises, the Commission is involved in some projects in the Lake Chad Region, such as PROLAC (Lake Chad Recovery and Development Project) being implemented in Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger, and Chad.

Lending his voice, the Governor of Borno state and the Chairman of North East Governors Forum, Prof. Babagana Zullum said without a clear road map, no meaningful achievement could be made regardless of the enormity of resources available. 

Zullum was of the opinion  that if the  recovery and development of the regional master plan is strategically implemented, it would  not only complement what the governors are doing in the states by investing in transformation projects, but also serve as tipping points for the transformation of the region.

He said the 11 pillars encompass all the sectors that need attention and investment to make the region be at par with the rest of the country and unleash its potential.

Zullum stated:  “In order for the commission to deliver on its mandate of supporting the recovery and development of the North East region of Nigeria that have been devastated by Boko Haram insurgency, which is further compounded by severe climate change, It has to be strategic and realistic realising that the resources it has its limited and insignificant percentage is time bound, and has only seven years to go.”

Interventions of NEDC

Unlike the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) that has become an ocean of corruption for the people of the region, NEDC was in haste to make a mark and intervene in the suffering of the people and stabilisation of the region. While the commission worked on its master plan, its modest achievements in the last four years have been gratifying.

Housing

The commission has completed 1,000 housing units in Ngwom, Mafa local government of Borno state. The houses were commissioned by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Farouq. The houses have been handed over to the beneficiaries.

Also, the commission is constructing another 500 housing units in each of the remaining states to relocate and ressetke Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). This is expected to be continually carried out in order to ease the suffering of all affected families of the region.

Information Communication Technology

Aside from the provision of housing units, the commission, in line with its strategic plan to improve access to Information and Communication Technology (ICT), established  ICT Resource Centres in each of the six states of the region which are hosted in tertiary institutions in the states.

The Commission  has trained over 3,000 youths across the six North East states in ICT. 45 per cent of the beneficiaries are female. The intervention is expected to generate new and sustainable jobs for the youths of all categories cutting across a range of skills.

Already, 1,800 youths have been trained in graphic design, 1,718 trained in smart phone repairs across the six states of the region. To ensure the programme gets to the target youth, the  commission established 18 ICT Centres in each Senatorial zone.

Health

The Commission has distributed hundreds of thousands of food and non-food items in all the North-East states, namely: bags of rice, cartons of spaghetti, gallons of vegetable oil, clothing items for men and women, mosquito nets, pairs of slippers, antiseptic soaps, blankets, mattresses, mats, children’s wears, mats, mattresses and many other items.

Furthermore, NEDC has provided advanced health facilities, ventilators, hospital beds, ambulances, consumables, and provision of basic therapeutic capabilities to the Tertiary Health Institutions in the region to curb the spread of Covid-29 virus. Molecular Laboratories in all the North-east States.

In addition to the already provided aid, two Burn Centres were also built in Adamawa and Borno States along with various Medical Outreaches. 

Humanitarian Intervention

The commission distributed relief materials across the North East states to over 500,000 households. 30,000 persons were reached with returns of food and non-food items in return communities, while over 4,500 displaced Persons benefited from emergency health intervention projects.

Capacity Building

The commission has trained 500 key stakeholders on Alternative Dispute Resolution; while 150 auto mechanics are currently undergoing training in Vehiclular Diagnostic Training. Also, 300 community leaders have been trained on the dangers of improvised explosives and 2,830 beneficiaries trained under NEDC environment protection plan, among others 

Rapid Response Intervention

The Commission in its short-term developmental plan in the first quarter of 2020 is in the process of implementing over 1000 Rapid Response Intervention (RRI) Projects in Agriculture, Environment, Education, Health, Energy/Power and WASH Sectors across all the 112 LGAs in the six states of the region. 

Some of the projects have been completed. While many others are currently in progress with very promising results. In all, over 4000 (RRI) projects have been implemented since 2020.

The commission said in the coming years, there is the hope that more projects will be approved and implemented with the same vigor and goodwill.

Special Development Projects

The commission has also completed a few special projects in the region. The projects are: reconstruction of three bridges

along  the road from Mararaba Mubi, Adamawa State to Bama in Borno State. Construction of 54km Mutai to Ngalda sector of the Gujba Ngalda Road in Yobe State;

Construction of Mayo Ndaga Road in  Taraba State. Reconstruction of police stations and barracks destroyed by insurgents in Garkida, Adamawa State; construction of three bridges on the Jabbi Lamba to Bele Road in Adamawa State;

Rehabilitation of the Maiduguri- Bama road in Borno State; construction of three mega schools in each member state; and construction of Soro Cattle Market in Bauchi State.

As soon as the implementation of the masterplan begins, the restoration of the region to its past glory and a better future is just a matter of time.

Quotes

In implementing the Humanitarian Development Peacebuilding (HDP) nexus, NEDC has covered much ground with viable, demand-driven, and impactful projects that are changing the landscape of the region

If the  recovery and development of the regional master plan is strategically implemented, it would  not only complement what the governors are doing in the states by investing in transformation projects, but also serve as tipping points for the transformation of the region

Pix 1 & 11- The Managing Director of North East Development Commission (NEDC), Mohammed Alkali; the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha; and other dignitaries at the  launch of the Stabilisation Development Masterplan for  North-east 

Pix 3 –  Kudzum bridge, along Michika -Madagali road, Adamawa State 

Pix 4 – Distribution of relief materials to flood victims

Pix 5 – One of NEDC ICT Resource centre in North-east 

Pix 6 – Distribution of hospital equipment 

Pix 7 -Newly constructed 1,000 housing units in Ngwom, Mafa Local Government of Borno State