NEC Monitoring Team Commends Ondo’s Community-Based Projects, Urges More Private Sector Partnerships
By Roseline Okakah
The National Economic Council (NEC) Secretariat has commended the Ondo State Government for implementing impactful community-based projects across critical sectors, while urging the state to deepen collaboration with the private sector to execute larger infrastructure projects.
The commendation came during a monitoring visit to Ondo State by the Implementation Monitoring Committee of the National Economic Council Secretariat and the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning to assess the implementation of NEC resolutions and inspect selected development projects executed by the Ondo State Government between July 2025 and July 2026.
Speaking during the exercise, the Assistant Chief Planning Officer at the NEC Secretariat, Mr Olayiwola Temitope, said the monitoring team was in the state to evaluate how resolutions reached at the monthly National Economic Council meetings, chaired by Vice-President Kashim Shettima, had been implemented to improve the lives of Nigerians.
According to him, the exercise is aimed at tracking the implementation of Council decisions, assessing infrastructure projects across the states, and ensuring they align with the Federal Government’s economic development agenda.
“The objective of this monitoring exercise is to determine the level of implementation of decisions reached at the National Economic Council meetings. Our goal is to ensure these decisions positively impact the lives of Nigerians and contribute to the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as well as the target of building a one-trillion-dollar economy by 2030,” he said.
Temitope described Ondo State’s performance as encouraging, noting that the government had prioritised smaller but highly impactful projects that directly benefit communities.
“From the projects we have visited, we observed that Ondo State has focused on implementing projects on a smaller scale that have a significant impact on communities. Many of these projects have been successfully delivered from the state level down to the grassroots, and that is commendable,” he said.
He, however, noted that a comprehensive comparison with other states would be made after the nationwide monitoring exercise had been completed, adding that Ondo State had so far performed satisfactorily.
The NEC official recommended that the state strengthen partnerships with the private sector to attract additional investment for larger development projects.
“If possible, the state should improve collaboration with private sector partners so that bigger infrastructure projects can also be implemented,” he added.
Temitope said one of the projects that particularly impressed the committee was the Basic Health Centre and Motorised Borehole at Shasha in Akure, describing it as a project that directly aligns with the objectives of the NG-CARES Programme approved by the National Economic Council.
Earlier, the Ondo State Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mr Laolu Akindolire, welcomed the delegation, describing the monitoring exercise as an important mechanism for promoting accountability, transparency and evidence-based governance.
He said the initiative provides an opportunity for the Federal Government to evaluate the implementation of NEC resolutions, assess development projects, identify implementation challenges, and document best practices that could be replicated across the country.
Akindolire noted that the Ondo State Government remains committed to prudent resource management, effective project delivery and sustainable development under Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa’s OUR EASE development agenda, which focuses on order and security, urban and rural development, technology, healthcare, socio-economic welfare, agriculture and food security, sustainable infrastructure, and education.
According to him, the projects executed by the administration span agriculture, healthcare, transportation, water supply, information and communication technology, and human capital development, with the goal of improving service delivery, stimulating economic growth, and enhancing residents’ quality of life.
During the inspection, the committee visited several projects across the state, including the completed Veterinary Clinic in Igbara-Oke under the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support (L-PRES) Project; the Onyearugbulem/Shagari-Irese Flyover in Akure; the Basic Health Centre and Motorised Borehole at Shasha; the Veterinary Cold Chain Facility in Akure; and the Omi Irorun “Odatiwa” Accelerated Water Supply Scheme at the Federal University of Technology Akure Teaching Hospital.
The delegation also inspected ongoing projects, including the Office Building Complex and Laboratory in Akure and the 15.72-kilometre Akure–Imafon Road project.
The monitoring exercise forms part of the fifth nationwide assessment by the NEC Secretariat and the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning to evaluate states’ implementation of National Economic Council resolutions and monitor the progress of strategic development projects across the country.
