The North East Governors’ Forum (NEGF) has called on the Federal Government to expedite action towards the completion and take-off of the Mambilla Hydropower plant now that the legal encumbrance has been cleared.
The governors who met in Maiduguri, Borno State on Saturday, also resolved to float North East regional Air shuttle to make inter and intraregional movement of people and goods faster and easier
The NEGF acknowledged the concerted effort made by member states in providing power and energising the subregion.
“It has moved the energy agenda from isolated state concerns to a regional energy agenda.
“The Dadinkowa hydropower plant now feeds the national grid. It encourages all member states to take advantage of the new electricity law and abundant sunshine to strengthen the electricity needs of the subregion and expanding solar and mini-grid solutions for development.
The forum in a communique by its Chairman, Prof. Babagana Zulum, acknowledged the intervention of the North East Development Commisssion (NEDC), in the region, and dsid it called “for more investment in the education sector, especially the release of the long-awaited scholarship awards to indigent students of the subregion and deploying more resource into the campaign for reducing the burden of out of school children and a coordinated support for the Tsangaya education.”
The governors appreciated the support of the Federal Government through the NEDC in providing 10,000 electric tricycles, 10 electric buses and 300 electric taxes with a view to lessening the burden of transportation, to be launched in October.
It agreed to partner with Green Ville Energy to build and provide more CNG and LNG stations within the region, to ease the cost of transportation, strengthen logistics and open the region to more economic activities.
The forum however decried the insurgency in the North East, but appreciated the courage and sacrifice of the armed forces and other security agencies, the resilience of the people and the commitment of governments at all levels,
It admitted that the region is still confronted by daunting humanitarian and infrastructural challenges.
According to the communique, North-East has one of the youngest populations in the country, which it said represents both an enormous opportunity and a responsibility.
The forum pledged commitment to equipping the young people with quality education, vocational and entrepreneurial skills, technology and meaningful employment opportunities for a secure and prosperous region where the youth see a future for themselves and have legitimate opportunities to build dignified livelihoods.
The NEGF also decried the harm done to the environment through deforestation, and agreed to partner with the Institute of Forest Research to train forest experts in the region.
Governors at the meeting included Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe States.
