Regional Development Ministry Moves to Digitise Reporting, Strengthen Oversight of Seven Commissions

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

The federal government has moved to strengthen transparency, accountability and performance monitoring across the country’s seven Regional Development Commissions with the introduction of a digital reporting platform designed to track projects, expenditure and implementation progress.

The initiative, spearheaded by the Ministry of Regional Development, also involves a revised quarterly reporting framework aimed at addressing longstanding weaknesses in submissions by the Commissions, including inconsistencies in reporting formats, incomplete financial information, inadequate project documentation and delays.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Mary Ogbe, disclosed this yesterday in Abuja, while declaring open a capacity-building programme for desk officers from the seven Regional Development Commissions on the revised Quarterly Reporting Template and the newly introduced Regional Development Commissions (RDC) Quarterly Reports Application.

Ogbe said the initiative was designed to improve the quality and credibility of performance data used by the federal government to assess the Commissions’ contributions to the implementation of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda across the different regions.

She explained that the Ministry submits quarterly performance reports to the Central Results Delivery Coordination Unit (CRCDU) in the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, making accurate and timely information from the Commissions critical to national performance assessment.

According to her, the revised reporting framework harmonises the CRCDU requirements with the Commissions’ quarterly performance templates and the Harmonised Performance Bond Matrix to ensure uniformity, accuracy and consistency with the Presidential Reporting Blueprint.

A major component of the reform is the introduction of the RDC Quarterly Reports Application, which will allow the seven Commissions to prepare and submit their quarterly returns electronically, validate financial information, upload supporting documents and transmit reports securely using individual submission keys.

The platform is also expected to give the Ministry real-time access to submissions through a consolidated reporting system, while providing the ministers and Permanent Secretary with a live dashboard to monitor compliance and track the reporting status of each Commission.

Ogbe said the revised template would require detailed information on project and programme implementation, including appropriated funds, contract sums, fund releases, expenditure, physical progress, percentage of completion, implementation challenges and recommendations.

She added that submissions would be backed by verifiable evidence, including geotagged project photographs, letters of award and completion certificates, to strengthen the credibility of reported achievements and make it easier to verify projects on the ground.

The Permanent Secretary said the new framework was developed in response to shortcomings identified in previous quarterly submissions, stressing that the government could not effectively evaluate development interventions without reliable financial and physical performance records.

She charged the participating officers to ensure that the training translated into improved reporting standards within their respective Commissions, particularly in financial reconciliation, project documentation and compliance with submission deadlines.

Ogbe also emphasised the need for effective communication between the Ministry and the Commissions, urging the desk officers to protect their individual submission keys and share the knowledge acquired with their management teams and colleagues.

She disclosed that the first quarterly returns under the new arrangement would cover the fourth quarter of 2026.

The Permanent Secretary maintained that performance reporting should not be treated as a routine administrative exercise but as an essential instrument for demonstrating the impact of public expenditure, informing policy decisions and holding institutions accountable for delivering development projects.

The training is expected to equip the officers with practical skills in completing the revised reporting template, reconciling financial records, uploading supporting evidence and navigating the digital application.

The reform represents a significant step in the Ministry’s efforts to establish a more coordinated, transparent and technology-driven monitoring and evaluation system for the Regional Development Commissions, whose activities are central to the Federal Government’s development interventions across Nigeria’s regions.

Afreximbank Commits $75m SME Financing Facility to DBN

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has committed a US$75 million finance facility to the Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) to expand access to finance for Nigerian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), including eligible businesses in the creative economy.

According to a statement, the DBN would route the loan through its partner financial institutions to fund eligible small businesses. The facility will support working capital, asset acquisition, pre-export, post-export and supply chain activities, with businesses in fashion, film, music, design and the wider creative industries among the intended beneficiaries.

Announced during CANEX WKND 2026 held in Lagos, recently, the facility reflects the event’s focus on connecting creative enterprises with finance, investment and markets.

Executive Vice President, Intra-African Trade and Export Development, Afreximbank, Mrs. Kanayo Awani, and Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, DBN, Dr. Tony Okpanachi, led the ceremonial signing on behalf of their institutions.

In line with Afreximbank’s Export SME Development programme, the facility will combine financing with capacity-building and export-readiness support for beneficiary SMEs, equipping them with the skills, tools and market knowledge required to strengthen their businesses, become export-ready and access regional and international markets.

Alongside the financing, Afreximbank and DBN will jointly develop a capacity-building programme to strengthen PFIs’ ability to support export-oriented SMEs. Afreximbank will also provide access to its trade platforms, including MANSA, TRADAR, PAPSS and ATEX, and support market access through the Africa Buyer Programme, ATDC and the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF).

“Our partnership with DBN goes beyond providing capital. We are taking an integrated approach that combines finance with capacity building, export-readiness support and access to markets.

“Our objective is to help Nigerian SMEs build productive capacity, strengthen their competitiveness and make the transition from promising local businesses to sustainable exporters. At the same time, we will work with participating financial institutions to strengthen their capacity to better understand, finance and support SMEs throughout their growth journey,” Awani said.

Awani said combining finance with this practical support would help businesses prepare for export markets and connect with buyers across Africa and beyond.

“For creative enterprises, that advances CANEX’s ambition to turn African talent and ideas into sustainable businesses that can compete internationally.”

The partnership combines DBN’s wholesale lending network with Afreximbank’s trade finance expertise, capacity building and market access support, strengthening local financial institutions’ ability to serve export-oriented SMEs.

“This partnership with Afreximbank represents another important step in DBN’s commitment to expanding access to finance for Nigerian MSMEs and enabling them to build resilient, competitive and sustainable businesses.

“The US$75 million facility will provide much-needed financing through our Participating Financial Institutions, while creating greater opportunities for businesses, particularly those in the creative and export-oriented sectors, to strengthen their productive capacity and access new markets,” Okpanachi said.

“Beyond financing, the capacity-building and market-access components of this partnership are particularly important to us. By strengthening the ability of financial institutions to support export-ready businesses and connecting Nigerian enterprises to wider African and international markets, we are helping MSMEs move from local businesses to competitive participants in regional and global value chains.

“This aligns strongly with DBN’s mandate to address financing constraints and support inclusive and sustainable economic growth in Nigeria,” he added.

CANEX is Afreximbank’s flagship programme for Africa’s creative and cultural industries. It supports the development of commercially sustainable, export-ready creative businesses through access to finance, skills, markets, commercial partnerships and policy support.