The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), says monitoring and evaluation of development projects is crucial to the overall success of such projects.

Cardoso said this on Monday in Abuja at the opening of a regional workshop on Project Management, Monitoring and Evaluation organised by the West African Institute for Financial and Economic Management (WAIFEM).

The CBN governor was represented by Dr Yusuf Bulus of the monetary policy department of the CBN.

According to him, the world today is tense with challenges across all sectors.

“Resources are increasingly becoming inadequate to address these emerging challenges.

“Managing scarce resources has become very necessary in a very tight fiscal environment which is characterised by growing human conflict, geo-economics fragmentation, cost of living crunch, and climate change.

“These conditions have put pressure on public finances, and government has to implement fiscal measures to balance competing priorities with available resources,’’ he said.

He said that as government and organisations assessed, designed, and implemented crucial interventions, an important component of project management and implementation that required due attention was the monitoring and evaluation design.

“The monitoring and evaluation framework is the foundation of any development project and is key to its successful implementation and in achieving envisaged project goals and objectives,’’ he said.

The Director-General of WAIFEM, Dr Baba Musa, said that the success of projects depended on the identification of the defining moments throughout the phases of the project execution.

Musa said that this encompassed the life circle of the project, which includes initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, evaluation, and closure.

According to him, you can perform an evaluation test after every phase to ensure that progress is sustained up to the end of the project.

“Poor management of project outcome can result in the objectives of the project not being realised.

“Monitoring and evaluation are in this regards, a continuous management function to assess if progress is made in achieving expected results.

“They will also help to spot bottlenecks in implementation and highlight whether there are any unintended effects or risks,’’ he said.

According to hom, the workshop is expected to equip participants with skills in setting up and implementing projects on how the monitoring and evaluation system worked.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that WAIFEM is a collaborative sub-regional capacity building organisation established in July 1996 by the central banks of five Anglophone West African countries.

Its mission is to develop human and institutional expertise in the field of macroeconomic, fiscal, debt and financial management for central banks and other relevant MDAs.

Gov. Babagana Zulum of Borno on Monday inaugurated the construction of Maiduguri’s  113-kilometer ring road project linking the east, west, and southern parts of the city.

The project is part of Zulum’s urban renewal drive, aims at solving city congestion, addressing housing deficits, job creation and spur economic growth.

Inaugurating the project, Zulum said it would be executed in phases, starting with Maiduguri-Kano Road to Maiduguri-Monguno Road via Maiduguri road covering 16.5km.

“Maiduguri, the capital of Borno is experiencing serious challenges as a result of the influx of internally displaced persons.

“This is putting huge pressure on the resources to cater for the needs of the population, especially shelter.

“We are taking deliberate steps to decongest the city. The government has decided to start the first phase of the project, which is about 16.5km.

“We will not hesitate to expand this scope of work to cover the entire 113km on the ring road.” he said.

Zulum charged the Ministry of Works and Housing to ensure quality work that would stand the test of time.

Also speaking, Mustapha Gubio, Commissioner for Works and Housing, assured the governor of timely completion of the project while observing all the engineering specifications strictly.

The Executive Secretary of Borno  Geographic Information Service (BOGIS), Adam Bababe, said a compensation of over N1.6b was paid to 732 persons whose farmlands were affected due to the project.

He noted that residential, commercial, industrial, recreational, and institutional layout would be established along the ring road in a land mass of about 2,000 hectares.

Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Ltd., operator of the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two (MMA2), Ikeja, has said that its proposed regional operations has not been abandoned.

Bi-Courtney’s Acting Chief Operating Officer, Mr Remi Jibodu said this at a media parley to mark the 17th anniversary of the facility on Monday in Lagos.

According to Jibodu, the launch of the regional operations was still in the pipeline, as there was approval for it, and the operator had consistently maintained facilities acquired for the operations.

“The launch of regional operations, considering our track record of continuous growth and excellence, will provide a single hub for domestic airlines.

“This will boost revenue through transit flights, drive economic growth by creating more jobs, and enhance connectivity.

“This expansion will open new revenue opportunities, benefiting all stakeholders involved.

“The economic ripple effects will be felt far and wide, from increased foot traffic in our terminal to enhanced commercial opportunities”.

Jibodu also said that one key achievement of the operator in the past 17 years was the resounding success of its Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.

He said this had helped foster collaborations with private entities that had enabled Bi-Courtney to deliver world-class services to passengers and stakeholders.

He recalled Chanchangi Airline Flight NCH 334; with registration number 5N BEU, with 70 passengers as the first airline to use the terminal on May 7, 2007.

The chief operating officer revealed that 10 domestic airlines including Ibom Air, Valuejet, Air Peace, Arik Air, Aero Contractors, Dana Air, United Nigeria Airlines, Azman Air, Max Air, and Rano Air currently use the terminal daily.

According to him, more than 10,000 guests visit the terminal daily, including passengers, stakeholders, concessionaires, and many others who visit to shop, eat, and fly.

Speaking on the successes of the operator, Jibodu said that Infrastructural development, establishment of e-gate had helped to streamline passengers’ facilitation and seamless journey.

He added that the provisions of uninterrupted power supply system and the recent development of flight distribution guidelines after the trend of passengers’ unrest at the slightest provocation had given a face-lift to the operations.

He said that the MMA2 training centre was another milestone which had earned the operator several accolades nationally and internationally.

”Our training center is not just a place of learning; it is a symbol of empowerment, providing individuals with the tools they need to soar to new heights.

”Whether it’s an aspiring ground staff learning the intricacies of customer service or advanced aviation security courses, our training centre is a place where dreams take flight.

”Looking ahead, we are poised to embark on an exciting journey toward continued growth and innovation.

”Our plans include further expansion of our terminal facilities, implementation of improved technology to enhance security, sustainable initiatives to expand our cargo ecosystem, and the commencement of regional operations from our terminal”, Jibodu said.

Meanwhile, Mr Temitope Yusuf, Value Jet MMA2 Station Manager, said that the airline had enjoyed consistent support, professionalism and commitment to safety of the MMA2 operator.

Similarly, Mrs Monica Aguta, Head, Aviation Security, MMA2, said that the terminal prides itself on the milestone achievements it had recorded over the years.

She said that security and safety played a pivotal role in the success recorded so far.