By Abdulrahman Aliagan,
A public policy analyst and National President of the APC Integrity Group of Governance (APC-IGG), Ambassador Musa Muhammed Tsoken, has proposed the establishment of professional coordinating committees among Nigeria’s 36 state governors as a strategic step toward accelerating national development and strengthening governance across the country.
Tsoken, who is also the National Coordinator of the Asiwaju Again Renewed Hope Support Initiative 2027, said the initiative would enable governors to pool their professional expertise and collaborate on key sectors such as security, economy, agriculture, education, healthcare, infrastructure, digital economy, and climate management.
According to the proposal, the committees would operate under the umbrella of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and would focus on peer-to-peer learning, policy harmonization, knowledge sharing, and joint implementation of development programmes across states.
He explained that the idea is aimed at promoting cooperative federalism, reducing duplication of efforts, and ensuring that successful policies in one state can easily be replicated in others for the benefit of all Nigerians.
Under the proposed arrangement, governors with strong professional and technocratic backgrounds would lead sector-specific committees based on their areas of competence.
For instance, the Governor of Taraba State, Agbu Kefas, was suggested as a potential chairman of the Security and Public Safety Committee due to his military and security background, while the Governor of Anambra State, Charles Soludo, was recommended to lead the Finance, Economy and Fiscal Policy Committee owing to his experience as a former Central Bank Governor and renowned economist.
Similarly, the Governor of Niger State, Mohammed Umar Bago, was identified as a strong candidate to coordinate Agriculture and Food Security initiatives because of his administration’s emphasis on farming reforms and agribusiness development.
Tsoken noted that the committees would consist of five to nine members with representation from all geopolitical zones, supported by technical experts, development partners, private sector stakeholders, and civil society organizations.
He added that the committees would meet quarterly, publish measurable performance reports, and establish Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to track progress in areas such as insecurity reduction, internally generated revenue growth, agricultural productivity, healthcare access, and educational development.
The policy analyst stressed that the initiative would also help weaker states benefit from the experiences and successes of more advanced states, thereby promoting national unity and balanced development.
Tsoken cited international examples such as the United States, India, Germany, Brazil, South Africa, and China, where governors and regional leaders collaborate through institutional frameworks to coordinate policies and improve governance outcomes without undermining federalism.
According to him, similar cooperation among Nigerian governors would strengthen national planning, improve service delivery, and create a more efficient governance structure capable of addressing pressing national challenges.
The proposal further recommended the immediate convening of a special meeting of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum to deliberate on the initiative, adopt a framework for implementation, and establish mechanisms for funding, monitoring, and accountability.
Tsoken maintained that the initiative aligns with the Renewed Hope agenda of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR and would deepen good governance, policy coordination, and sustainable development across Nigeria.
