By Grace Alegba
An economist, Prof. Jonathan Aremu, says Nigeria’s newly unveiled five-year National Regional Development Policy has the potential to accelerate economic growth and reduce regional disparities, if implementation challenges are effectively tackled.
Aremu, a former National Coordinator of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos.
He said the policy could serve as a powerful instrument for infrastructure development, investment attraction and regional competitiveness.
According to him, the regional development commissions are expected to complement the goals of the National Development Plan by addressing developmental imbalances and improving infrastructure delivery across the country’s geopolitical zones.
“The policy can promote inter-regional development, attract investments and enhance Nigeria’s competitiveness within ECOWAS and the AfCFTA framework if it is properly managed,” he said.
However, Aremu identified several challenges that could undermine the policy’s success, including overlapping responsibilities among federal, state and local governments, inadequate funding, political interference, corruption and weak technical capacity.
He warned that development commissions could duplicate existing government functions if clear operational boundaries and coordination mechanisms were not established.
“There must be proper coordination between the commissions, states and local governments to ensure projects reflect the priorities of individual states and communities,” he said.
Aremu also raised concerns about funding, noting that many government agencies already face irregular budgetary allocations.
“It is not enough to announce a policy. The critical question is how it will be funded. Sustainable funding mechanisms and access to development finance from regional and international institutions are necessary,” he said.
The economist further cautioned against political interference in project selection and resource allocation, stressing the need for transparency, accountability and robust monitoring systems.
He noted that corruption, poor procurement practices and financial mismanagement could erode public confidence in the commissions if not adequately addressed.
He also warned against unhealthy rivalry among regions, saying competition should drive development rather than create tensions over project locations and resource distribution.
“Competition is important, but it must not result in regional conflict or lead to projects that are not aligned with local priorities,” he said.
Drawing lessons from Nigeria’s regional development experience in the First Republic, Aremu said healthy competition among regions had contributed to achievements such as the Cocoa House and free education initiatives in the old Western Region.
He noted, however, that today’s realities require stronger governance frameworks, transparency and effective project continuity mechanisms.
The economist urged the government to develop zone-specific master plans, establish dedicated development funds and create investment promotion frameworks capable of attracting private sector participation.
He also called for extensive stakeholder engagement involving traditional rulers, civil society groups, youth organisations, women’s groups, chambers of commerce and development partners.
He stressed the importance of aligning regional projects with national development goals, ECOWAS integration objectives and AfCFTA opportunities.
He further advocated a results-based monitoring and evaluation framework to track performance and ensure projects address the developmental needs that informed the establishment of the commissions.
On the role of state governments, Aremu said development priorities should originate from local governments and states before being harmonised at the zonal level.
“The priorities of states within the same zone cannot be exactly the same. Development aspirations differ, and the commissions must reflect those differences rather than impose uniform projects across all states,” he said.
According to him, infrastructure deficits in transportation, energy, water, healthcare, education and digital infrastructure should remain at the centre of regional development efforts.
He expressed optimism that with proper planning, adequate funding, transparency and stakeholder participation, the policy could become a catalyst for inclusive and sustainable development across Nigeria.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Olawunmi Ashafa