By Gbenga Akingbule.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, on Wednesday, performed the foundation laying of the North East Development Commission (NEDC) N26.8 billion Headquarters Complex in Maiduguri, Borno State.
Gatekeepers News reports that Shettima also flagged – off the construction of 22.38 KM phase 2 Jere Bowl road connecting villages between Jere and Mafa local government areas of the state at the cost of N20.4 billion.
The Vice President said during the ceremony in Maiduguri that the office Complex project is a fulfilment of the Presidential Bola Ahmed-led administration’s promise towards transforming the narrative of the North East Region “from the one marred by despair and devastation to the one defined by renewal and triumph”
Shettima stated that NEDC is a critical engine driving the development of the region adding that the headquarters complex whose foundation is being laid will not just be a building but “a fortress of our shared aspiration as a people with shared objectives and shall symbolise the strength of our collective will to rebuild, restore and to rise above the challenges that have long hindered the progress of the North East.”
According to him ” Today’s foundation laying ceremony is a step towards fulfilling President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s priority and promise to prioritise initiatives that safeguard the interest of the North East.”
The Vice President who hails from Borno State and the North East Region also launched farm Implements procured by NEDC for farmers in the six states of the region.
The Managing Director of NEDC, Mohammed Alkali said the foundation laying ceremony is in fulfilment of the law establishing the Commission.
Alkali revealed that the edifice is an 8-floor structure with basement and mezzanine floors.
“Apart from its adequate and conducive office spaces, the complex will have other state-of-the-art ancillary facilities such as an expansive Parking Space, Conference Rooms, Prayer Halls, Restaurants and Catering Facilities, Sick Bay, Gymnasium/Creche, Exhibition Halls and Humanitarian Center, among others.
“The Commission is currently implementing the North-East Stabilization and Development Master Plan (NESDMP), a holistic roadmap consisting of 11 Pillars that cut across various sectors. The Pillars are fashioned to propel the Socio-economic development and long-term prosperity in the North-East Region.
“The Master Plan, which is in tandem with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Present Administration requires synergy, cooperation and collaboration by all Stakeholders to make a meaningful impact.
“In sync with the Master Plan, His Excellency, the Vice President will also today perform the ground-breaking ceremony for Phase 2 of the Jere Bowl Road Network which spans 22.38Km. It is gratifying to note that the ground-breaking ceremony for the first phase covering 22.5km was done by His Excellency, the Vice President in 2023 and is now over 95% completed. This road network of 44.88Km that passes through the famous rice producing Communities of Galamari, Dusuman, Ngowom, Koshebe, Gongulong, Zabarmari and Khaddamari will improve freer movement of people and goods, thereby stimulating economic activities through food production, processing agribusiness, as well as enhance security in the area,” the NEDC boss said.
