Tsenyil Yitsen: A New Dawn for Nigeria’s North Central Region
By Abdullahi O Haruna
By all accounts, the appointment of Tsenyil Cyril Yitsen as the pioneer Managing Director of the North Central Development Commission (NCDC) is not just a political milestone—it is the unfolding of a transformative moment for a region long held back by infrastructural deficits, ethno-religious tensions, and policy neglect.
The North Central zone—home to immense agricultural wealth, cultural diversity, and untapped human capital—has for decades teetered between promise and peril. Yet, with Yitsen at the helm of a freshly minted commission, a new trajectory beckons. The question on many lips is no longer if change will come, but how fast.
Tsenyil Cyril Yitsen brings to this responsibility a legacy of credibility, competence, and reform-driven public service. As the former Accountant-General of Plateau State, he spearheaded far-reaching fiscal reforms that restored accountability and trust in public finance. His track record of transparent leadership and systems-driven governance gives the NCDC a foundation steeped not in rhetoric, but in proven excellence.
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But it is not only his administrative prowess that sets him apart—it is his unique gift of unity. In a region often defined by its fragmentation, Yitsen possesses the rare ability to transcend ethnic, religious, and political lines. He understands that the real strength of the North Central lies in its diversity. And more importantly, he knows how to harness that diversity to achieve collective progress.
The burdens he inherits are not light. The scars of banditry, farmer-herder conflicts, infrastructural neglect, and youth disillusionment run deep. But in Yitsen, the region may have found not only a manager of problems, but a visionary leader—someone who sees the interconnectedness of security, economic development, education, and inclusion. His leadership comes with a mandate not just to build roads or markets, but to rebuild trust, hope, and opportunity.
If supported with the political will, legislative backing, and regional cooperation necessary for impact, the NCDC under Yitsen’s stewardship could become a reference point for how regional commissions should function—lean, focused, and transformative.
Let it be said that the fortunes of the North Central region will no longer be tied to its pains, but to its potential. And let history record that when the tide began to turn, it was because a man named Tsenyil Cyril Yitsen was given the wheel.
The days ahead must be shaped by bold policy, community-driven programs, and inclusive planning. But above all, they must be led by someone who not only knows the terrain—but believes in its future. That man is here.
And his name is Tsenyil Cyril Yitsen.
Abdullahi O Haruna Haruspice writes from Abuja
