VP Shettima Hosts NEDC Board, Management In Aso Rock

Nigeria's Vice President, Kashim Shettima, hosted the board and management of the North-East Development Commission (NEDC), on Wednesday, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Speaking during the visit, the vice president said his principal, President Bola Tinubu, will leave no stone unturned in ensuring the restoration of total security in the North East.

He asked the Commission to prioritise investments in legacy projects, including agriculture, education and smart transportation, also referred to as electric transport vehicles and tricycles.

The vice president also urged the Commission to be prudent with its resources and invest in agriculture and new transport technology projects that would have a lasting impact on the region.

Shettima said: “I will ask the board and management of the (NEDC) to embark on legacy projects, projects that will stand the test of time.

“It is absolutely essential that you invest in agriculture, invest in new transport technology – electric tricycles and vehicles. If you invest in smart transportation, it will have a sea change, and you can even attract climate funding.”

On his part, NEDC Managing Director, Mohammed Alkali, presented the North East Stabilisation and Development Master Plan (NESDMP), saying that the master plan is in fulfilment of section 8 (1) (c) of the NEDC Act.

Alkali explained that the 10-year development plan (2020 to 2030) had four implementation phases, 11 pillars and 529 schemes, programmes and projects.

He said: “We are here today, the whole board of the commission to meet with the Vice-President; as you can recall, on August 9, this new board was inaugurated by him.

“And today, we came to give him highlights of our master plan. That is the document we are going to use in delivering our mandate in the north-east so that he will appreciate what we want to do in the next four years.”