NEDC Commences Review of $80bn Funding of North East Stabilisation Development Master Plan

•Mulls regional airline carrier

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The North East Development Commission (NEDC) has revealed it has commenced review of the North East Stabilization and Development Master Plan with a view to reflect the current realities.

It added that the cost of implementation of the 529 schemes, programmes and projects for over 10 years which stood at $80 billion or N33 trillion as at June 2022 required review in line with current realities.

Also, in line with its mandate aimed at actualising regional integration, the Commission said it already conceived the construction of North East regional airline in order to improve transportation in the region. 

Its Group Managing Director, Mohammed Alkali, gave the hint on Thursday in Abuja during an interactive session with the Minister of Regional Development, Hon. Abubakar Momoh and Minister of State, Una Ahmadu.

His words: “At that time, with exchange rate, we’re looking at about N33 trillion, because that time the exchange rate was not up to 500, but today, I’m sure if we translate $80 billion, to Naira, I’m sure the figure could be highly mind-boggling.

“Already we have started the process of reviewing the master plan, because it has entered the second year, so that we have to now align with the current situation.

“And for all the budgetary process, we have been drawing our inputs from these pillars and also the phases, which I’m sure when you go through the big book here, you’ll be able to get what we have done and what we want to do.

“But after our last meeting in December presentation, some matters arising have occurred, which I want to bring up for the attention of the honorable Ministers and other members present here.

“In our last presentation, we indicated that Mr. President given approval to deploy e-mobility in the North East, and in the last Council meeting, through the presentation of our two ministers, we have got approval to begin the process.”

Alkali added that President Bola Tinubu has given the Commission the approval for the immediate rehabilitation and reconstruction of key bridges before the rainy season starts.

“Also, we are looking at a situation whereby, how can we improve transportation? We are talking about e-vehicles. We’re talking about airlines, we’re also looking at the railway system for the North East, because a lot of work is going on,” he said.

The Managing Director stressed that the Commission has made a lot of mapping across all the health institutions across the North East.

He noted: “During our exercise, what we discovered, which is very damning, is that in the whole North East with population about 30 million people, as of today, there’s only one MRI machine servicing the whole of the North East, and that MRI machine is 15 years old, or there about which is just as good as gone.

“And you also remember that during the flood in Maiduguri, all the items, equipment in UMTH were destroyed, so they need to be replaced. So, we are now thinking to see that at least, to provide one MRI machine in each state and see what we can do in UMTH to see that they could go back to that. Because the service not only downs by then, but the other parts of the country.”

Also, Chairman, NEDC Governing Board, General Paul Tarfa, pledged the Commission’s unwavering dedication to working in close synergy with the ministry.