NEDC reaffirms commitment to better service delivery

North East Development Commission (NEDC) has reaffirmed its commitment to improving service delivery and ensuring that its international management standards translate into better development outcomes for people across the region.

The Managing Director of the Commission, Mohammed Goni, stated this on Tuesday in Maiduguri at the 2026 Excellence Forum, which brought together NEDC staff from Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe states.

The forum, which began on Monday, is themed ‘The 2026 Excellence Forum’ and focuses on quality, accountability, integrity, collaboration and improved service delivery.

ALSO READ: FG commissions KWASU ICT centre to enhance graduate employability

Goni said the real measure of excellence was not the certifications obtained by the Commission but the quality of development delivered to the people of the North-East.

“For us, excellence must ultimately be measured by the quality of development we deliver to the people of the North-East,” he said.

He said although the Commission had secured international certifications reflecting its management standards, the priority was to ensure that the standards became part of its daily operations.

Goni said participants at the forum would engage in practical exercises, simulations and real workplace situations designed to improve collaboration, problem-solving and service delivery.

“This emphasis on moving from standards to practice is at the heart of the 2026 Excellence Forum,” he said.

The forum followed the Commission’s certification to five International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) management system standards covering Quality Management, Environmental Management, Occupational Health and Safety, Anti-Bribery Management and Sustainable Development in Communities.

Goni said the Commission’s ability to deliver roads, schools, healthcare facilities, water, livelihood programmes and other interventions across the North-East depended largely on the strength of its institutional systems and personnel.

He added that building capable staff, improving internal processes and strengthening accountability were important to the Commission’s wider development mandate.

According to him, the forum was aimed at ensuring that the standards adopted by the NEDC did not remain certification requirements but became part of how its staff worked and how the institution delivered its mandate.

“Ultimately, the aim is simple: a stronger NEDC that delivers better outcomes for the people of the North-East,” Goni said.