By Mohammed Nasir Shuaibu (Bauchi State Correspondent)
The North-East Governors’ Forum (NEGF) has called on the Federal Government to accelerate key rail, road, oil exploration and power projects considered critical to the economic transformation of the region.
The call was made at the 13th meeting of the forum held in Maiduguri, Borno State, where the governors reviewed progress made in regional development since the forum was established in 2020.
The governors expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for renewed attention to the Port Harcourt–Jos–Bauchi–Gombe–Maiduguri rail corridor, frontier oil exploration at Kolmani and the Akwanga–Jos–Bauchi–Gombe–Biu–Maiduguri highway.
The forum, however, urged the Federal Government to revisit oil exploration activities that commenced but later stalled in Magumeri and Gubio Local Government Areas of Borno State.
On electricity, the governors said member states had made concerted efforts to move the energy agenda from individual state concerns to a regional priority.
They noted that the Dadinkowa Hydropower Plant now feeds the national grid and urged member states to take advantage of the new electricity law and the region’s abundant sunshine to expand solar power and mini-grid solutions.
The forum also renewed its call for the Federal Government to expedite the completion and take-off of the Mambila Hydropower Project, following the resolution of the legal issues surrounding the project through an arbitration ruling.
The governors further acknowledged the interventions of the North-East Development Commission (NEDC), but called for increased investment in education, particularly scholarships for indigent students and programmes aimed at reducing the number of out-of-school children.
They also expressed concern over deforestation and resolved to partner with the Institute of Forest Research to train forest experts in the region.
The forum said its achievements over the past six years demonstrated the benefits of speaking with one voice on issues affecting the subregion.
The meeting was attended by governors and deputy governors representing the six member states.
The next meeting is scheduled for December 18 and 19, 2026, in Gombe State. NNL.
