The House of Representatives has commenced debate on a bill seeking to establish the National Commission for Rural Infrastructure and Development (NACRID) to accelerate infrastructure development and economic growth in rural communities across Nigeria.
Leading the debate during Wednesday’s plenary, the bill’s sponsor, Saidu Abdullahi (APC, Niger), said Nigeria cannot achieve sustainable economic growth while millions of rural residents continue to lack access to basic infrastructure and economic opportunities.
According to him, the proposed commission will provide a national framework for financing, coordinating, monitoring and supporting rural infrastructure projects without duplicating the responsibilities of existing Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
The bill also proposes the creation of a National Rural Development Fund, which would finance projects through federal appropriations, grants, development partners, private sector contributions, state counterpart funding and other lawful sources approved by the National Assembly.
Abdullahi explained that state governments would prepare Rural Development Action Plans, provide counterpart funding and implement approved projects, while NACRID would focus on policy coordination, financing, technical support, monitoring and performance evaluation.
If passed into law, the commission will support investments in rural roads, bridges, potable water, sanitation, renewable energy, irrigation, healthcare facilities, schools, digital connectivity, markets, storage facilities and agro-processing centres.
The lawmaker said the initiative is expected to boost agricultural productivity, strengthen food security, create jobs, attract private investment and reduce rural-to-urban migration, urging lawmakers to support the bill’s passage to the committee stage for further legislative consideration.
