FCTA seeks closer partnership with NEPAD
NAN-H-104
Partnership
By Kabir Muhammad
Abuja, Jan. 18, 2017 (NAN) The FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello, has called for a robust relationship with the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), the planning and coordinating technical body of the African Union.
Bello made the call in Abuja on Wednesday when the National Coordinator/Chief Executive Officer of NEPAD Nigeria, Princess Gloria Akobundu, visited him.
He noted that the position of Abuja, as a pacesetter in the country, would guarantee that any project concluded by Nigeria’s development partners would be easily replicated in other parts of the country.
The minister, therefore, requested that the NEPAD office in Abuja should work closely with the FCTA’s Department of Planning, Research and Statistics, to look into possible areas of collaboration.
“I want to appeal that Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, should be used as a model for any intervention programme that NEPAD has in Nigeria.
‘’Deploy your staff, expertise and I assure you that we will give you the needed conducive environment to become a point of reference for other states of the federation,” he said.
Bello assured that the FCT Administration would cooperate with NEPAD wherever necessary to ensure that intervention projects in other parts of the country are also replicated in the FCT to ensure even spread.
“You may want to assign the relevant officers in your office to work out an Action Plan that we can work towards what we want to achieve in 2017.
“Then we can create a forum whereby, quarterly, I could sit down with you and review progress to see what we have achieved and what we need to do next,” he added.
Speaking earlier, the NEPAD National Coordinator, Princess Gloria Akobundu said that NEPAD is a Pan-African organisation established by African leaders and Presidents of various countries to address the needs of Africa as a continent.
Akobundu noted that NEPAD has concerned itself with addressing development challenges in Africa, especially the need to reduce poverty and fast track infrastructural development.
She, therefore, emphasised the need for collaboration by all stakeholders and development partners because its mandate is quite huge. (NAN)
KM/MOL/AFA
Edited by Mustapha Lamidi/Felix Ajide