BCDA Seeks Funding Support for Border Projects in Abuja

Border communities that have long lived on the margins of Nigeria’s development agenda may soon be watching Abuja more closely. In a high-stakes appeal for funding, the BCDA says delayed releases are slowing critical water, security and infrastructure projects that could reshape life along the nation’s frontiers.

Atlantic Post

July 9, 2026

4–5 minutes

BCDA, border communities, Federal Ministry of Finance, National Security, Renewed Hope Agenda, Taiwo Oyedele

The Executive Secretary of the Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA), Dr George-Kelly D. Alabo, has appealed to the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, to prioritise funding for ongoing infrastructure projects in Nigeria’s border communities.

Dr Alabo made the appeal on Thursday during a courtesy visit to the minister at the Ministry of Finance headquarters in Abuja, where he congratulated him on his recent appointment and outlined what he described as the urgent development needs of communities along Nigeria’s borders.

According to him, the BCDA was created to “ameliorate the plight” of citizens living in more than 3,000 border communities across 105 local government areas in 21 states, many of which remain without basic amenities such as schools, potable water and other social infrastructure.

He said the agency’s work is tied not only to social welfare, but also to national security, stressing that neglected border settlements are vulnerable to banditry, smuggling and other cross-border criminal activity.

Dr Alabo briefed the minister on the agency’s mandate and current interventions, explaining that the BCDA has already awarded contracts for several infrastructure projects nationwide, with contractors having moved to site. He added that some of the projects have been completed, while others are at advanced stages.

However, he said delays in budget releases were slowing implementation and threatening the timely delivery of key projects. He urged the ministry to intervene so that the agency could complete what he described as legacy projects that would directly improve the lives of border residents and demonstrate that the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was delivering “tangible dividends” to communities at the nation’s frontiers.

Presenting the agency’s Strategic Action Plan, the BCDA chief said its core priorities include security, education, water supply and off-grid lighting facilities. He said the agency’s interventions were designed to address both development deficits and the security risks associated with long-term neglect.

Dr Alabo also thanked President Tinubu for the ₦50 billion budget allocation to the agency, saying it had enabled the BCDA to begin cost-effective projects with realistic completion timelines.

He cited the agency’s intervention in Asa border community in Ogun State, where a cholera outbreak had been linked to a lack of potable water. According to him, the BCDA drilled a solar-powered borehole in the community, which now serves five neighbouring settlements and has improved living conditions while helping to promote peace.

The Executive Secretary also disclosed that the agency had facilitated a $2 billion investment from Chinese investors for a large-scale livestock processing hub in Maigatari, Jigawa State, in partnership with the investors and the state government. He said the project would include a cattle processing plant with the capacity to produce 300,000 tonnes of meat annually for export.

He said Maigatari was chosen as a pilot location because of its strategic position as a border community and its economic potential. The project, he said, was expected to create thousands of direct and indirect jobs and strengthen cross-border trade and industrial activity in the area.

On security collaboration, Dr Alabo said the BCDA was working closely with the Nigeria Customs Service, the Nigeria Immigration Service, the Ministry of Interior and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) to establish the Border Communities Intelligence Corps. He said the initiative was intended to fast-track development, improve intelligence gathering and strengthen security coordination.

Appealing for prompt release of funds, he said the agency remained committed to prudent resource management and efficient project delivery, particularly in areas where access to water and other essential services remained limited.

In his response, Mr Oyedele commended Dr Alabo for what he described as a passionate presentation and reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to supporting the agency. He said the Federal Government recognised the importance of the BCDA in driving development in border communities and would continue to back capital projects aligned with the administration’s objectives.

The minister said Nigeria’s border communities, with a combined population of over 20 million people, were comparable to the populations of several African countries and should be lifted out of poverty in order to secure their loyalty and allegiance to the Nigerian state.

He also asked about the level of collaboration between the BCDA and other ministries, departments and agencies, especially the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Power and the Rural Electrification Agency (REA).

Dr Alabo responded that the agency was already working with relevant MDAs, particularly in health, power, interior and rural electrification, while maintaining focus on its core capital projects, which he said were distinct from general constituency projects.

The minister assured the agency that the ministry would review its priority list with a view to prioritising funding for BCDA projects and helping the agency achieve greater impact across border communities.

Dr Alabo thanked the minister for the audience and restated the agency’s commitment to completing all ongoing projects within the stipulated timelines.

The visit ended with what both sides described as productive discussions and a shared resolve to accelerate development in Nigeria’s border communities under the Renewed Hope Agenda.