BY JOY OFASIA
Deputy Prime Minister and Member of Parliament for Northwest Guadalcanal Constituency, Hon. Francis Sade, has challenged communities to embrace a new mindset focused on action, self-reliance, and value creation, saying that real and sustainable development begins with changing the way people think.
Speaking during the official handover of projects and materials funded under the 2025 Constituency Development Fund (CDF) Programme last week, Sade told community leaders, project beneficiaries, and residents that while North West Guadalcanal is rich in natural resources, true prosperity will only come when people move beyond dependency and take ownership of their development.
“Today is a moment of truth and a moment of decision, before anything changes on the outside, something must change on the inside first,” Sade said. “
The Deputy Prime Minister acknowledged the challenges facing rural communities, saying that farmers continue to work hard for limited returns, fishermen often receive little value for their catch, and many young people remain unemployed despite being willing and capable of working.
Despite these challenges, he said the constituency possesses fertile land, abundant marine resources, and hardworking people capable of transforming the local economy.
“We are resource-rich, but not yet value-rich, that is the problem we must solve together,” he said.
Central to his message was the need for a fundamental shift in mindset.
“We must move from waiting to action, from dependency to self-reliance, and from selling raw products to adding value. Real development does not begin with money; it begins with thinking,” he said.
Sade stressed that the Constituency Development Fund should not be viewed merely as a source of materials and equipment but as a tool for transformation that enables communities to create wealth and improve livelihoods.
He concluded by urging communities to embrace the vision of transforming North West Guadalcanal from a resource-rich constituency into a value-rich economy.
“If we change our mindset, we change our future. We are not poor. We have resources, we have opportunities, and we have people who are capable of creating success. The future is in our hands, and together we will build it.”
The handover ceremony marked another milestone in North West Guadalcanal’s development agenda, with constituency leaders emphasizing that sustainable progress will depend not only on investment and infrastructure but also on a collective commitment to changing mindsets and taking ownership of development.
