The House of Representatives has passed for second reading a bill seeking to establish the National Commission for Rural Infrastructure and Development (NACRID) to provide a coordinated framework for financing, monitoring and supporting rural infrastructure projects across Nigeria.
Sponsored by the member representing Bida/Gbako/Katcha Federal Constituency of Niger State, Hon. Saidu Musa Abdullahi, the bill seeks to create an institutional framework that would advance the constitutional objectives of government through a coordinated approach to rural infrastructure and development.
Leading the debate on the general principles of the bill, Abdullahi said the proposed legislation was informed by the persistent infrastructural deficit in rural communities despite years of development planning and significant public investments.
According to the lawmaker, the majority of Nigerians reside in rural communities, which also serve as the nation’s agricultural backbone and are a major source of natural resources.
However, he said the communities continue to suffer from inadequate road networks, poor access to potable water, unreliable electricity supply, weak healthcare services, insufficient educational facilities, poor digital connectivity, limited access to markets and inadequate economic opportunities.
Abdullahi argued that these challenges have continued to fuel poverty, unemployment, food insecurity and the migration of productive populations from rural areas to urban centres.
“No nation can attain sustainable economic growth while neglecting the communities that produce its food, supply its raw materials and sustain its local economy. Rural development must therefore be regarded not merely as a social obligation but as a strategic economic priority,” Abdullahi said.
The sponsor anchored the bill on constitutional provisions, citing Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which declares that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.
He also referenced Section 16(2)(d) of the Constitution, which mandates the state to provide adequate shelter, food, a reasonable national minimum living wage, old-age care, pensions, unemployment and sickness benefits, while ensuring the development of infrastructure necessary to improve the welfare of citizens.
Drawing lessons from previous government interventions, Abdullahi recalled the role played by the defunct Directorate of Food, Roads and Rural Infrastructure (DFRRI), noting that although the agency had its shortcomings, it demonstrated that targeted investments in rural infrastructure could significantly improve livelihoods and stimulate economic activities.
