Commission unveils development master plan for Northeast
By Njadvara MUSA, Maiduguri
The North East Development Commission (NEDC) has unfolded a stabilization and development master plan (NESDMP) for the region.
The region comprises Borno, Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe states, affected in the 13-year Boko Haram insurgency that claimed many life and property.
Unfolding the 10-year plan, yesterday (Monday), at the Abubakar Ibn Garbai El-Kanemi event centre, Maiduguri, the lead consultant, Dr Kassim Gidado disclosed: “The development plan, is a roadmap for redevelopment and sustainable economic growth of the Northeast,”
He added that the master plan contains schemes, programmes and projects with their respective costs and timelines to “promote and facilitate” economic development and growth.
According to him, the implementation of the plan is both to alleviate poverty and create wealth through what he described as; “transformative projects and programmes in the insurgency affected six States.
He, however, noted that there are cross-cutting issues on good governance, employment, youth development, gender balance, persons with disability and funding of the various projects.
Speaking on the energy and solid minerals sectors, he said: “There should be an increased number of people accessing electricity using solar panels and generating plants.”
He added that the oil and gas sector, including power supply, be restored and expanded in the region.
Besides, he added that a survey of all geological areas is to be done by mobilizing formal and informal miners.
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He warned that; “there should be a reduction in the use of unclean primary energy usages,”
While entrepreneurship in the oil and gas sectors be scaled up for energy efficiency at lower costs.
“The six-member states are to pursue the delivery of the Kano/Maiduguri Industrial Gas Pipeline,” he said, adding that the completion of abandoned energy projects could also reduce the prices of gas and fuel by 2028.
He said that the development of regional geological centres for the training of youths and artisan miners can reduce informal and illegal mining activities.
He urged the Federal Government to complete the exploration and drilling of recently discovered oil and gas in the Lake Chad Basin.
Other projects to be executed in the plan, including the completion of the independent power project and other hydroelectric projects initiated in the last three decades.
“Construction of renewable energy generation plants, including solar and wind-powered energy plants could drive the costs of energy in the industrial and housing sectors of the economy.
