By our correspondant
The Ministry of Regional Development has inaugurated the Core Working Group (CWG) on Regional Development as part of a high-level stakeholder engagement aimed at strengthening policy coordination, institutional effectiveness, and promoting inclusive regional growth across Nigeria.
The event was declared open today, December 15, 2025, in Abuja by the Minister of State, Uba Maigari Ahmadu.
The minister acknowledged the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, noting that the establishment of the Ministry and the Regional Development Commissions reflects a deliberate national strategy to address long-standing regional imbalances.
“The Development Commissions are strategic instruments for tackling persistent regional development gaps while addressing evolving socio-economic and security challenges across the country,” he stated.
Ahmadu emphasised that the key expectations for regional development must be locally grounded, secure, accountable, and sustainable.
He stressed, “A region-by-region approach must reflect local realities, priorities, and comparative advantages.”
The minister also noted that integrating security considerations is essential to reinforce peace-building, community resilience, and long-term stability.
Ahmadu pointed out that “strong governance and accountability mechanisms must provide clear indicators, monitoring systems, and transparent processes,” and that “policy initiatives must align with national development plans and global best practices, ensuring continuity beyond political cycles.”
In her welcome remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Dr Mary A. Ogbe, described the inauguration as a significant step toward strengthening institutions and improving service delivery.
“This gathering marks a concrete step in our collective effort to enhance the institutional capacity of the Ministry to promote balanced, inclusive, and sustainable regional development across Nigeria,” she said.
Dr Ogbe explained that the CWG will serve as the Ministry’s technical backbone, providing evidence-based input and ensuring coherence across departments.
She also noted that the inauguration coincides with the start of a Rights and Results-Based Management (RRBM) training aimed at transforming how regional development policies are planned, implemented, and evaluated.
In his keynote speech, delivered on behalf of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Mr Hamidu Poufon, Chief Social Policy Officer, emphasised the Ministry’s central role as the institutional anchor for achieving equitable and inclusive development across Nigeria’s regions.
He pointed out that this role is crucial for the successful implementation of the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Poufon stated that the UNDP will serve as a technical partner to the Ministry and highlighted that the main goal of regional development efforts should be to foster balanced national progress by driving inclusive growth throughout all regions, ensuring that development interventions are equitably distributed to address disparities and unlock regional potential.
The two-day event, held in Abuja from December 15 to 16, 2025, in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning, with support from the European Union (EU), UNDP, and UNICEF.
