The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has urged the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the North West Development Commission (NWDC), Professor Shehu Abdullahi Ma’aji, to discharge the commission’s regional development responsibilities with a strong sense of responsibility, openness and integrity.
Olukoyede made the call on Wednesday, the 14th of January, 2026, when Ma’aji, alongside top officials of the NWDC, paid a courtesy visit to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission headquarters in Jabi, Abuja.
“I encourage you to be committed to that mandate. It’s a big mandate,” Olukoyede said, explaining that regional development commissions were established to allow each geopolitical zone to grow and advance at its own pace.
He added, “We want to see progress within the next one year after releases have been made to you for your budget.
“We want to see tangible developmental projects that you have put in place so that the trust that the government and the people of Nigeria have in you will not be betrayed.”
The EFCC chairman underscored the need for strict accountability and transparency, advising the NWDC leadership to put preventive safeguards in place to avoid financial mismanagement from the beginning.
“From day one, don’t sign any document that you are not sure of. Do your profiling very well; know whom you are employing as executive directors, particularly in charge of procurement of goods and services,” he cautioned.
Olukoyede also reminded Ma’aji that, as the chief accounting officer, the ultimate responsibility for the commission’s financial decisions rests with him. “Whatever they do, scrutinize in the spirit of transparency. Prevention is better than cure,” he added.
He assured the NWDC of the EFCC’s willingness to support and work with the commission, stressing that the relationship would be based on integrity and consistent compliance.
“We are ready on our part to work with you in the spirit of collaboration and to ensure that you start on a very good note and maintain the tempo,” he said.
Responding, Professor Ma’aji sought a formal and structured partnership with the EFCC to help keep the NWDC on the right path from its formative stage.
He explained that the North West Development Commission was created to promote coordinated socio-economic development across the North West through infrastructure projects, social interventions, economic empowerment and institutional capacity building.
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“As a new public institution entrusted with significant public resources, the Commission recognises that transparency, accountability and strong internal controls are fundamental to achieving its mandate and sustaining public confidence,” Ma’aji said.
He described the EFCC as vital not only for enforcement but also for prevention and strengthening institutional frameworks.
According to him, the proposed collaboration would prioritise preventive advisory services and capacity-building initiatives aimed at entrenching sound financial management and compliance mechanisms.
“This is to ensure that we don’t start on the wrong footing,” he said, noting that the move aligns with the Federal Government’s broader governance reform agenda to ensure value for money while protecting public institutions from financial misconduct and reputational risks.