Nigeria’s Federal Government said that it is committed to addressing the persistent regional imbalances and developmental gaps through the National Regional Development Policy (NRDP) 2026–2030 document.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Regional Development, Dr Mary Ogbe, said this in Enugu on Monday at the South-East Regional Technical Validation Workshop for NRDP 2026-2030.
The workshop was attended by various professionals, civil society, and pressure groups within the five South-East States, which included: Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo. According to her, the workshop provided a veritable opportunity to reflect, deliberate, and validate the collective wisdom embedded in the NRDP draft policy, a document that represented the aspirations of millions of Nigerians across geopolitical zones.
She said that Nigeria’s development landscape had been characterised by deep structural disparities in infrastructure, human capital, access to economic opportunities, and quality of public services across regions and states. Ogbe said: “These disparities are not merely statistical observations; they are realities that affect the dignity, livelihoods, and futures of our citizens.
“The National Regional Development Policy (NRDP) 2026–2030 is our government’s strategic response to these challenges. It is a blueprint designed to promote balanced, inclusive, and sustainable development across all regions of our federation.
“The policy sets out clear pillars, enabling frameworks, financing mechanisms, and institutional coordination structures that, if faithfully implemented, will transform the trajectory of development across Nigeria.”
She further said that it was gratifying that the NRDP draft policy document was not crafted in isolation but was highly inclusive.
The Permanent Secretary said that the draft policy benefited from robust consultations with states, technical agencies, regional development institutions, civil society organizations, development partners, particularly UNDP, and a wide range of subject matter experts.
She expressed optimism that the NRDP 2026-2030 draft policy document would be validated and put into full operationalisation before the end of the year.
In her speech, the Resident Representative, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Elsie Attafuah, said that the UNDP contributed the technical expertise for the crafting of the NRDP draft policy, as the world’s leading organisation on development.
Attafuah, who was represented by a Technical Advisor in UNDP, Mr Matthew Alao, explained that UNDP remained a strong partner in the country’s quest for rapid development, adding that NRDP holds that reality when fully implemented.
She said: “UNDP will continue to support government, ministries, departments, and agencies to ensure uplift of human capital, infrastructural, as well as coordinated and sustainable development.”
Earlier, the Managing Director of South East Development Commission (SEDC), Mr Mark Okoye, lauded the ministry and the technical team for producing a draft document that was evidence-based, consultative, and forward-looking. Okoye, who was represented by the Executive Director, Finance and Administration of SEDC, Chief Stanley Ohajuruka, said that from the SouthEast perspective, three elements stand out in the NRDP policy document.
According to Okoye, “First, the emphasis on regional growth poles; the policy’s recognition of Aba, Onitsha, and Enugu as a commercial and industrial corridor aligns with our own regional development plan.
“We must ensure that transport, energy, and digital infrastructure investments are sequenced to reinforce this corridor. Second, the integration of climate adaptation: Erosion control and watershed management are not environmental niceties for the South East; they are existential. We urge that the policy focuses on financing and technical standards for erosion control as a core regional infrastructure category.”
He also noted that the third was the policy focus on data and results, adding that it was gratifying that “what gets measured gets done”.
