By Abbas Nazil
The North East Development Commission is strengthening its institutional systems through the adoption of International Organization for Standardization standards to improve the delivery of electric mobility, renewable energy and other development programmes across the region.
The commission’s Managing Director, Mohammed Alkali, said the move would strengthen decision-making and ensure that NEDC interventions are guided by internationally recognised management standards.
Alkali spoke in Abuja during the opening of a three-day ISO Executive Retreat for senior management of the commission.
He described the certification process as an important milestone for NEDC, but stressed that obtaining certification should not be regarded as the final objective.
According to him, the effectiveness of the standards would ultimately be determined by how they are applied in the commission’s daily operations and reflected in decisions concerning development projects.
He said major interventions covering roads, schools, healthcare facilities, water supply, livelihoods, mobility and energy require effective investment systems, proper planning, monitoring and sound management to achieve their intended objectives.
Alkali said the executive retreat was aligned with the North-East Master Plan, particularly in the areas of planning, accountability, risk management, coordination and performance monitoring.
He explained that while the master plan establishes what NEDC is expected to deliver across the region, the quality of leadership, institutional systems and collective commitment would determine how effectively those objectives are achieved.
The NEDC Managing Director said the commission was working towards meeting five key requirements covering quality management, environmental management, occupational health and safety, anti-bribery management and sustainable development within communities.
He added that the training formed part of the NEDC Excellence Forum held in Maiduguri, Borno State, where staff on Levels 6 to 13 were introduced to the application of the standards in their routine responsibilities.
According to Alkali, the Abuja executive retreat was designed to give senior management a deeper understanding of governance, risk management, accountability and sustainable programme delivery.
He said senior officials had a particularly important role in ensuring that the standards become part of the commission’s institutional culture rather than remaining limited to certification requirements.
The Acting Head of Governance and Compliance Service Reforms at NEDC, Fatima Dalhatu, urged participants to take the training seriously and ensure that the knowledge gained is translated into improved performance.
Dalhatu said the North-East Master Plan provides the strategic direction for the commission, while the Integrated Management System requires discipline and collective commitment to achieve its objectives.
She stressed that responsibility for implementing ISO standards should not be left solely to the Governance and Compliance Service.
According to her, the department can coordinate the process, but senior management must take ownership of the system and ensure that the standards are integrated into the commission’s operations.
She warned that without ownership by senior management, the exercise could result in certificates being obtained without corresponding improvements in institutional practices and programme delivery.
The retreat is therefore expected to strengthen the capacity of NEDC senior officials to apply internationally recognised standards in planning, governance, environmental management, risk control and sustainable development as the commission implements its interventions across the North-East.
