The North-West Development Commission (NWDC) has welcomed a proposal for a formal strategic communication partnership with the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) aimed at deepening awareness on the Commission’s development interventions across the seven states of Nigeria’s Northwest.
The proposal was discussed Monday, when the Managing Director/CEO of the NWDC, Professor Shehu Abdullahi Ma’aji, received the Director-General of the FRCN, Dr. Mohammed Bulama on working visit to the Commission’s headquarters recently in Kano.
Speaking during the visit, Professor Ma’aji said the Commission’s mandate cannot be achieved without effective public communication, describing radio as a long standing and trusted source of information across Northwest communities. “Whatever little we have done must be communicated widely so that people can know the progress the Commission is making”, he said.
He revealed that the NWDC was established in 2024 under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as part of a broader Federal Government initiative to create regional development commissions and address long standing socio-economic imbalances across the country. The Commission covers Kano, Jigawa, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara states – home to approximately 186 local governments and more than 2000 electoral wards.
Professor Ma’aji outlined the Commission’s core intervention areas, which include security, agriculture, infrastructure, health, education, youths development, women’s empowerment and skills acquisition. He noted that the NWDC as an intervention agency is designed to complement – not to compete with – state and local government efforts, and confirmed that the Commission is pursuing financing partnership with institutions such as the World Bank, the African Development Bank and the Islamic Development Bank to support it’s regional development agenda.
He further disclosed that the Commission is planning a North-West Development Summit, expected to hold in Kano in September, with anticipated attendance by President Tinubu and the governors of all the seven Northwest states. Professor Ma’aji confirmed that FRCN will be among the first media organisations to be accredited to cover the summit.
He concluded by pledging the Commission’s total support, including consideration of FRCN’s request for assistance with broadcast equipment, training and renewable energy solutions to strengthen Radio Nigeria’s operations in the region. “This intervention will be continuous,” he said, citing similar support FRCN had earlier received from the Northeast Development Commission as a model to build upon.
Earlier in his submission, the Director General of FRCN, Dr. Mohammed Bulama proposed a Northwest Development Commission Communication partnership built around four pillars – Inform, Educate, Document and Connect – to be formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and a joint technical committee tasked with developing an annual communication plan.
The proposed partnership would see FRCN produce documentaries, conduct outside broadcast, develop dedicated programming on NWDC projects, including a flagship weekly program titled “Northwest Rising: The development Story”, to be broadcast nationally and across the Commission’s mandate states. An FRCN correspondent would also be dedicated to covering NWDC activities, alongside programming focused on youths and skill development, and on peace, security and social cohesion.
Signed:
Abdulrashid Y. Safana anipr
Director Press and Public Relations.
26/8/2026.
