Mohammed Alkali, the Managing Director of the North-East Development Commission (NEDC), has said that the Federal Government of Nigeria has completed the construction of 1,000 housing units which is part of government’s resettlement plans.
For about 13 years, since the insurgency in Nigeria’s North-East skyrocketed, millions of inhabitants of the region have been displaced.
Speaking on Thursday to the State House Correspondents at the 50th Session of the State House Briefing organised by the Presidential Communications Team at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, Alkali said 1000 houses were built in Ngwom, Borno, with plans to build 500 housing units in five other affected states each, costing N17.5bn.
The mass housing project includes two-bedroom flats built in clusters. The housing units have been handed over to the Borno State Government who distributed it to various households.
Alkali also revealed that the NEDC has executed 647 projects ranging from agriculture, health, education, energy/power across 112 local government areas in the North-East. With each LGA gulping at least N50m, the total costs accrues to N5.6bn.
He noted that three bridges had been constructed in Kudzum, Dilechim and Wuro-Ngayandi areas of Adamawa State.
The MD argued that the lack of a sturdy education system in the North-East had fuelled the insurgency.
Therefore, the commission, he explained, created an Education Endowment Fund with a seed capital of N6bn; with plans to dedicate 10 per cent of its annual allocation to the fund.
To adequately execute the commission’s mandate according to the North-East stabilisation and development masterplan in the next 30 years, Alkali said at least N31.05tn will be required.
The NEDC was inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2017 to coordinate all humanitarian interventions by government Ministries, Departments and Agencies based on the North-East stabilisation masterplan.
