Politics

APC Forum praises Tinubu for establishing North-Central Development Commission

The North-Central All Progressives Congress (APC) Forum has lauded President Bola Tinubu for signing into law the bill that establishes the North-Central Development Commission (NCDC), a significant milestone for the region.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio made the announcement in the Senate chamber on Tuesday, February 4, 2025, highlighting that the bill aims to bring development to the grassroots of the North-Central region. “Let me also inform my colleagues that Mr. President has also assented to the North-Central Development Commission establishment bill 2024, in order to bring development to the grassroots,” Akpabio said.

The signing of the bill comes shortly after the North-Central APC Forum raised concerns over the region’s exclusion from the N2.493 trillion allocated to regional development commissions in the proposed 2025 budget. Until now, the North-Central was the only geo-political zone in Nigeria without its own development commission, a situation the Forum had decried as unfair.

The 2025 budget includes allocations for five other regional development commissions:

  • Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) – N776.53 billion (South-South)
  • North West Development Commission (NWDC) – N585.93 billion
  • South West Development Commission (SWDC) – N498.40 billion
  • South East Development Commission (SEDC) – N341.27 billion
  • North East Development Commission (NEDC) – N291 billion

The Ministry of Regional Development, created by President Tinubu in October 2025, has taken over the responsibility for these commissions, which were previously managed by the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.

The Forum, led by its Chairman Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga—who also served on the APC presidential campaign council during the 2023 election—expressed deep appreciation for the President’s action. They described Tinubu as a “listening President,” noting how his decision addresses their long-standing demands for fairness and equity.

“The North-Central APC Forum commends President Bola Tinubu for signing into law the bill establishing the North-Central Development Commission, NCDC. The President’s action shows that he is a listening President,” Zazzaga said in a statement.

He also pointed out that the Forum had previously raised concerns over the exclusion of the North-Central from the proposed regional development commissions, calling it an act of injustice and marginalization. “We cried out that such injustice is unacceptable to the people of the North-Central, who deserve to be treated as equals to other Nigerians,” the statement read.

The Forum further emphasized that the North-Central had shown strong support for President Tinubu during the 2023 election, second only to the South-West in terms of general acceptance. “Today, we feel that we have been vindicated for giving our support to President Bola Tinubu during the 2023 election. He has listened to our cries,” the statement continued.

The creation of the NCDC is seen as a major step towards ensuring that the North-Central region keeps pace with other parts of Nigeria in terms of development. The Forum commended the National Assembly members and regional leaders who played roles in the establishment of the commission.

In their statement, they also urged the President to send a supplementary budget to the National Assembly to capture funding for the NCDC’s projects within the 2025 fiscal year, in line with the provisions for other regions.

The establishment of the North-Central Development Commission marks the fulfillment of a long-standing desire by the people of the region, as previous efforts to create such a commission had failed. A similar bill had passed the first and second readings in the 9th Senate but did not receive presidential assent before the end of former President Buhari’s administration.

With the signing of the bill, the North-Central is now set to benefit from a dedicated commission that will help drive its development and address regional disparities.

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