By Daniel Aruwa
The North East Development Commission (NEDC) was established in 2017 to extirpate the problems of poverty, insecurity and the long and intractable devastation caused by insurgency through Boko Haram and other criminal elements in that region, thereby enhancing resettlement and rehabilitation, the reconstruction of physical infrastructures, provision of social infrastructures in terms of poverty alleviation and palliatives, various intervention in education, the provision of greener environment both for the present and in the future and also the improvement of the healthcare of the people.
To actualize its mandate and as an interventionist agency of the Federal Government of Nigeria, the North East Development Commission was saddled with the responsibility of devising means of attracting funds both from the Federal Government and other international donors, and ensuring its meticulous management, targeting and prioritizing resettlement, rehabilitation, integration, and reconstruction, through road construction, provision of and business premises for victims of insurgency and terrorism, while also exploring potentials solutions against poverty, illiteracy, ecological problems and any other environmental challenges in the North-East States of the country.
Upon assumption of office as the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Agency, Alhaji Mohammed Goni Alkali was not just intentional but also pragmatic and transformative in his leadership style establishing first and foremost those areas that will lead to the effective mobilization and coordination of mush need but scare resources, especially funds so as deliver tangible and measurable developmental goals.
A team player and astute mobilizer, Alhaji Goni, through deliberate confidence building and effective collaboration and strategic alliance fostered enduring and progressive unity through which carried along various multi-national corporations, governments and global Non-Governmental organizations (NGOs) which brought them on board for the actualization of the mandate of the Commission.
The significant collaboration has led to superlative and impactful achievements, tackling poverty head-on and eradicating illiteracy, thereby fostering the catalytic and sustainable development of the region. Alhaji Goni through innovative partnership has truly been able consistently, since coming on saddle rebuilt a North-East that is not just united from within but also resilient, having an enduring capacity to continually draw on the opportunities provided by the Renewed Hope Mandate of the President Tinubu administration.
Alhaji Alkali’s steadfastness resonates hope and prosperity. His capacity, competence, and capability is been fully utilized, selflessly in ensuring that he brings to bear innovative solutions to the several challenges that daily confronts the region, rewriting and re-inventing the North-East region, re-building those critical but much needed physical infrastructures devastated by the years of insurgency, and bring to his people those social infrastructures through the Federal Government Social Safety Nets necessary to ameliorate their sufferings and put them back on their feet leading them into sustainable development and pride.
A first class Accountant and holder of the Master’s degree in Accounting and Finance, from the London School of Economics, University of London, his strategic and unique insight was to identify and focus first on meeting the immediate needs of the resettlement and rehabilitation of those displaced by insurgency, and thereafter providing the basic life-saving infrastructures, education, tackling poverty and lack and the restoration of safe environment and health needs of the people.
Indeed, he has made significant and laudable strides and has advanced steadily, making improvements by the day.
His deliberate methodology was to prioritize education by acknowledging its critical role in the life of the people of the North-East, through creating access and affordability. To achieve this aim, Alhaji Alkali embarked on the Mega Basic Schools Construction Program. So far the program has constructed 16 classrooms, six laboratories, with a 480 students’ capacity hostel in Yobe State, above 200 blocks of classrooms were also constructed in 20 schools.
Through his congruence, clout and synergy, Alhaji Alkali attracted six billion naira for the purchase of educational materials and the reconstruction of schools, and scholarship support for 20,000 indigent individuals from the Education Endowment Fund.
An ethical leader, his radical approach towards the transformation of the North East has also led to the construction and rehabilitation of hospitals, clinics, health centres and 178 kilometers of road, and several inter and intra state bridges in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States thereby enhancing connectivity, commerce, congeniality and the sharing of deterrent information against insurgents amongst the people of the region, whose interface is now more properly improved. The various road networks and provision of social amenities have also benefited thousands, through the provision of markets sites, accessible and affordable hospitals, healthcare and water and sanitation facilities, providing dignified livelihood, sustainable good health and better quality of life for the people.
In order to meet the yearnings of the people and provide intervention and proper medical services, Alhaji Alkali initiated various forms of surgeries including cataract for over 1000 indigenes.
Alhaji Goni’s far-reaching initiatives in agriculture has led to various interventions which has impacted positively on the growth of agriculture and the economy of the North East and the country at large. His focused strategy has brought about such support programmes such as, the distribution of agricultural machineries and equipment and various inputs such as fertilizer and agro chemicals, to boost food production, enhance food security, availability and affordability thereby stabilizing the national economy.
In a bid to improve the livelihood of his people and stimulate their livelihood through various social infrastructures, Alhaji Goni initiated the provision and distribution of food and non-food items, such as rice, spaghetti, vegetable oil, clothing, mosquito nets, blankets, mattresses and hygiene kits.
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The adoption of such strategic planning programs like the North East Stabilization and Development Master Plan (NESDMP), has enhanced the development of robust strategy which outlined a comprehensive institutional enterprise framework with a peculiar regional vision and implementation blueprint for long-term stability. This singular act also drew the attention of various international partners, such as the United nation, and Civil society groups towards the recovery plight of the people of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.
Alhaji Mohammed Goni Alkali’s unwavering commitment and determination has helped built a region undeterred and resilient in the face of difficulties thrust on them by an unusual circumstance but hopeful and happy at the pragmatic transformative changes that they daily witness in their progress with the North East Development Commission (NEDC) under the unassuming impact of a man who has demonstrated what a perfect example of a development interventionist agency should look like.
Aruwa is a public affairs analyst based in Abuja.