Odita Sunday 
By Audu Kurama – Maiduguri
The North East Development Commission (NEDC) has donated broadcasting equipment and solar power systems to the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), as well as 132 luggage trolleys to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) in Maiduguri, Borno State.
Presenting the items at the NEDC headquarters in Maiduguri, the Managing Director of the commission, Mohammed Goni Alkali, said the intervention was based on a demand-driven approach aimed at addressing the specific needs of partner agencies.
According to him, the commission engaged stakeholders to identify priority areas requiring urgent intervention.
“We engaged all our partners and stakeholders to find out exactly what they needed. With the FRCN, we had a productive discussion and narrowed down their specific requirements to avoid duplication,” Alkali said.
He disclosed that the commission supplied 38 items to the FRCN, adding that similar interventions had also been extended to the police, military and media organisations across the North-East.
On the support to FAAN, Alkali said the commission identified shortages in basic operational facilities at airports within the region and decided to address immediate needs.
“We observed that something as basic as trolleys was in short supply. What we did today was simply addressing the low-hanging fruit, their immediate demand,” he stated.
Responding, the Director-General of FRCN, Dr. Muhammed Bulama, described the intervention as a strategic partnership that would improve broadcasting operations in the region.
He said the provision of solar power systems would enable radio stations in the North-East to operate for between 12 and 15 hours daily.
“The supply of solar power to our stations means that our broadcasters in the Northeast can now operate for no fewer than 12 to 15 hours per day, a luxury we simply could not afford in the past,” Bulama said.
He disclosed that the intervention would benefit FRCN stations in Maiduguri, Yola, Jalingo, Bauchi, Gombe and Damaturu.
Also speaking, the Northeast Regional Manager of FAAN, Fatima Aliyu Betara, commended the commission for donating the trolleys, noting that the General Muhammadu Buhari International Airport, Maiduguri, received 32 units.
She said the trolleys would improve passenger convenience and facilitate easier movement of luggage at airports.
Betara also appealed to the NEDC to support the construction of a regional Hajj camp, noting that the existing facility was currently being occupied by the military due to insurgency challenges.
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