By Daniel Obaje/Mukhtar Dambatta
The Federal Government says an Indian company and two international agencies are interested in investing in infrastructure development across regional development commissions.
The Minister of State for Regional Development, Uba Ahmadu, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.
Ahmadu said the ministry had established working arrangements with the three prospective investors and was discussing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalise the partnerships.
“We have one with an Indian company, and two other international agencies with which we sat and had serious discussions.
“They are interested in investing in the infrastructure sector in the commissions,” he said.
The minister said discussions with the prospective investors followed engagements with international donor agencies and business organisations during the 2026 United Nations General Assembly in New York.
He said the ministry was exploring several investment opportunities, including the proposed North-East Regional Airline, North-East Rail Project and a regional power company.
Ahmadu said the regional airline was among the projects discussed with investors in New York, following an agreement by North-East governors at a recent meeting in Maiduguri.
He said the proposed North-East Power Company would generate 40 megawatts of electricity from Kiri Dam in Adamawa and supply it to the national grid.
“The idea is to generate revenue for the commission and add to the grid, thereby extending availability of electricity for the people,” he said.
Ahmadu said discussions with investors on the power project were at an advanced stage, describing electricity generation as a key investment opportunity for the region.
He urged Nigerian investors to explore available opportunities in the regional development commissions rather than leaving investment initiatives exclusively to foreign partners.
“There are many investment opportunities for the private sector in the commissions.
“Investors from within our country need to take advantage of the opportunities,” he said.
The minister also identified thermal energy as another viable investment area, noting that such projects could generate significant revenue for the commissions.
He explained that the commissions would not directly engage in commercial activities but would create an enabling environment for private sector investment.
According to him, the approach is designed to generate additional revenue and strengthen the financial capacity of the commissions to execute their development mandates.
Ahmadu said investment-generated revenue would help sustain the commissions’ activities, particularly when funds from their expected sources were insufficient.
He said the ministry was proactively pursuing investment opportunities to place the commissions on a stronger financial footing and ensure continued infrastructure development across their respective regions.(NAN)
Edited by Rotimi Ijikanmi
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