The Governing Board of the North East Development Commission (NEDC) has approved a N100 billion investment for a 50-megawatt solar mini-grid programme, alongside plans for a regional railway, airline, electric vehicle deployment, healthcare upgrades and a N30 billion MSME fund aimed at accelerating economic transformation across the North-East.

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, Mohammed Goni Alkali, announced the initiatives on Thursday during a press briefing in Abuja, describing reliable electricity as the foundation for industrialisation, agricultural processing, healthcare delivery, digital innovation and sustainable economic growth.

Alkali said the commission would partner with the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) and other development partners to achieve universal electricity access across the North-East by 2030.

He explained that the 50MW renewable energy programme would provide electricity to homes, schools, hospitals, markets, industrial parks and small businesses while supporting Nigeria’s transition to clean energy.

Beyond power, Alkali unveiled plans for a North-East regional railway network, additional road and bridge projects, and the establishment of a regional airline to improve connectivity, facilitate business travel, promote tourism, enhance cargo movement and strengthen trade with neighbouring countries.

He also announced the rollout of the commission’s flagship electric mobility programme, beginning with the deployment of 300 electric taxis, minibuses, tricycles and larger buses as the first phase of a planned fleet of more than 10,000 electric vehicles across the region.

According to him, the initiative will be supported by charging infrastructure and maintenance facilities and is expected to modernise public transportation, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, create thousands of green jobs and attract investments in battery management, vehicle servicing, component supply and fleet operations.

To stimulate enterprise development, Alkali disclosed that the Board had approved the establishment of a N30 billion NEDC–Bank of Industry (BOI) MSME Development Fund to provide affordable financing, business development services and capacity-building support for youth- and women-owned businesses.

He said the fund is designed to create jobs, expand access to credit and strengthen small and medium-scale enterprises across the region.

In the healthcare sector, Alkali said the commission would procure eight state-of-the-art 1.5 Tesla helium-free MRI systems, as well as CT scan machines, digital X-ray systems, mammography equipment and dialysis machines to improve access to specialised healthcare services in the six North-East states.

He added that the commission would also upgrade the Borno Eye Hospital into a modern ophthalmic centre, establish a fertility centre at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), and expand its Community Targeted Social Health Insurance Programme to cover about 10,000 vulnerable beneficiaries.

The NEDC boss further announced strengthened partnerships with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Rural Electrification Agency to promote industrialisation, renewable energy, enterprise development, skills acquisition and community resilience.

Alkali noted that since its establishment, the commission has focused on rebuilding communities devastated by insurgency through investments in roads, bridges, schools, healthcare facilities, renewable energy and livelihood programmes.

He said the newly approved projects represent a strategic shift from post-conflict reconstruction to long-term economic transformation, positioning the North-East as an investment destination capable of driving inclusive growth, job creation and sustainable development.