North-East Development Commission: Between promises and reality

The North-East region has long grappled with economic marginalisation, weak infrastructure and limited social services. These conditions formed part of the broader environment in which the Boko Haram insurgency later emerged.

Beyond the immediate destruction caused by the conflict, years of underinvestment affected governance, regional productivity and the capacity of the North-East to regenerate itself, contributing to widespread poverty and public discontent.

Environmental pressures, social exclusion, and institutional weaknesses also played significant roles. Focusing solely on the destruction of the last decade risks overlooking a deeper history of neglect that predated the insurgency.

It was against this background that the North-East Development Commission (NEDC) was established.

This series examines how the commission has approached these inherited challenges, what progress has been made, and whether its interventions represent a meaningful departure from past patterns of neglect.

In recent years, various stakeholders have assessed the impact of interventions in the North-East, including those implemented by the NEDC. A recurring question has been whether these interventions have delivered on their objectives.

Some observers have been critical of the results achieved so far, while others argue that important steps have been taken in the recovery process. There are also questions about whether certain policies and projects adequately address the region’s long-term development needs.

This article takes a step back to provide historical context and examine the region’s longstanding challenges, including those that existed before the insurgency.

Among Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, the North-East has experienced some of the country’s most severe humanitarian and developmental setbacks. Burnt schools, damaged health centres, abandoned farmlands and displaced communities remain visible reminders of the conflict.

Data from the North-East Nigeria Recovery and Peace Building Assessment (RPBA) published in 2015 indicated that nearly 15 million people were directly affected by the insurgency and the military operations that followed. The assessment estimated the total economic impact of the crisis at almost $9 billion.

More than 400,000 homes were destroyed, with Borno accounting for the vast majority. Agriculture suffered losses estimated at $3.5 billion, while the housing sector recorded losses of about $3.3 billion. Schools, hospitals, markets, and roads were also heavily affected.

These realities informed the Buhari Plan of 2016 and later the North-East Stabilisation and Development Master Plan (NESDMP), which projected reconstruction needs running into tens of billions of dollars.

However, many of the region’s challenges predated Boko Haram. By the time Nigeria adopted the Millennium Development Goals in 2000, the North-East was already lagging in poverty reduction, education, healthcare, and infrastructure development.

As of 2010, unemployment in the region was estimated at nearly 32 percent, above the national average of 24 percent. School enrolment remained low, while infant and maternal mortality rates were among the highest in the country.

Droughts, desertification, and declining agricultural productivity further weakened the region’s economic base. Unlike commercial centres such as Lagos or oil-producing states such as Rivers, the North-East generated only a small share of Nigeria’s internally generated revenue.

Funding patterns also reflected longstanding disparities. Federal allocations and capital investments were relatively low compared with other regions, and where resources were available, weak institutions and limited technical capacity often reduced their impact.

The North-East States Transformation Strategy (NESTS) launched in 2014, sought to address many of these structural problems through greater investment in human capital and regional development. Yet, like several initiatives before and after it, the strategy underscored the persistent gap between identifying problems and mobilising the political will and resources required to solve them.

Abdulrahman Abu Hamisu, a researcher, Public Affairs analyst and leader, Independent Researchers, writes from Abuja.

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