The North East Governors Forum (NEGF) has stated that the Federal Government is not considering the region in the national infrastructure plan despite its consistent appeals to develop the region for economic viability.
The governors expressed concern over “the seeming neglect of the Northeast in the allocation of Federal Government Capital Projects.”
The governors made this known in a communique issued on Saturday morning after the Forum’s 10th meeting.
The communique, signed by its Chairman and Governor of Borno State, Prof. Babagana Zulum, stated, “The Forum noted with dismay that despite its cry for attention on the state of infrastructure in the region, which has been consistently echoed in all its communiques over the years, especially the poor road and railway infrastructure along the economic corridors that link the Northeast subregion to the rest of the country, nothing serious seems to be happening.”
The governors said that the roads from Enugu to Maiduguri are in a deplorable state, and the railway from Enugu to Maiduguri has been destroyed.
They said, “This is a major route for regional trade and very important for integration, peacebuilding, and improving national unity. The region is also not included in the National Infrastructure Plan for the transition from PMS to compressed gas.”
They appealed to the Federal Government to consider the reconstruction of the basic infrastructure along the Enugu-Maiduguri economic corridor and the inclusion of the Northeast in all national development plans and initiatives.
The Forum also deplored the blackout experienced by the region over the last month and “the nonchalant attitude exhibited” by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) in addressing the issue of national importance for the security and development of the country.
“The Forum is keenly watching the commitment made by TCN to restore power to all the states of the region by 27th May 2024; accordingly, the Forum urged the Federal Government to direct TCN to take immediate action. The Forum has resolved, in the short term, to set up a solar power plant that can generate a minimum of 10 megawatts per state.”
The governors said that the Northeast is the only region in Nigeria with one transmission line supplying six states with a land mass of nearly 300,000 square kilometres and a population of over 35 million. According to them, this has made the region the most vulnerable and most disadvantaged for industrial development and economic growth, with over 70% of its population below 35 years of age.
They called on the Minister of Power to urgently implement the extension of the 330KV transmission line from Makurdi–Gassol–Jalingo linking to Adamawa–Gombe–Bauchi, and the extension of the 330KV line from Kano–Bauchi–Yobe, linking to Borno.
The six governors of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, and Yobe states were in attendance.
