Regional Development Bodies Deserve Constitutional Recognition-NNDC Boss
The Chairman of the Northern Nigeria Development Commission (NNDC), Alhaji Lamis Dikko, has advocated for constitutional amendments that would grant formal recognition to regional development bodies and address key governance challenges facing Nigeria’s federal structure.
While Speaking at the Northwest Governors’ Forum Constitutional Review Consultative Meeting in Abuja, Dikko outlined strategic reforms needed to create a more equitable federation, emphasizing the need for balanced revenue allocation, enhanced local government autonomy, and constitutional empowerment of regional development institutions.
He stated that “The North seeks no favour beyond fairness, and no privilege above parity,”
The NNDC Chairman proposed several key constitutional reforms, including a rebalanced federal structure that would transfer legislative powers in areas such as policing, agriculture, prisons, and minerals to state governments.
“We propose a rebalanced federal structure where states should legislate in areas such as policing, agriculture, prisons, and minerals, with residual powers returning to the states and the Exclusive List pruned to reflect subsidiarity,” he added.
Addressing revenue allocation challenges, Dikko called for reforms that reflect national equity principles, stating that the current system unfairly penalizes states without natural resources.
On regional economic coordination, he emphasized the constitutional recognition of development bodies.
He said that “While the NNDC and other regional development companies such as ODUA should be granted constitutional recognition as regional development bodies empowered by law to coordinate regional enterprises and industrialisation with federal support.”
Dikko also highlighted critical infrastructure challenges, particularly the uncommissioned 255MW Kudandan/Kaduna Power Plant, urging direct gubernatorial intervention with the President to resolve outstanding issues.
He said “The gas-powered plant was developed under the National Integrated Power Projects (NIPP) to supply electricity to the Kaduna-Kano-Katsina industrial corridor and stabilize the Northern transmission ring. Its commissioning is pivotal to unlocking industrial growth,”
Dikko called for renewed Northern unity, stating: “This period of constitutional amendment should serve as a catalyst for more vigorous activities to unite the Northern Region again, the unconstitutional artificial fragmentation into North East, North Central and North West notwithstanding.”
He proposed the establishment of a Technical Working Group to frame actionable constitutional amendment proposals and urged mobilization of Northern Caucuses in the National Assembly to advance regional interests.
“Let us show the nation what unity looks like. Let us demonstrate that regional pride and national loyalty are not in conflict,”
Regional Development Bodies Deserve Constitutional Recognition-NNDC Boss is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
