The Senate has passed the bill to establish the South West Development Commission, which will manage funds for capital projects in the region.
The bill, read for the second time in February 2024, was passed after a report by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Special Duties, Kaka Shehu Lawan.
Lawan explained the purpose of the commission, stating, “If the commission is established through presidential assent, it will, like other development-driven commissions, receive funds from the federation account and donations from development partners to address infrastructural deficits and tackle ecological problems in the region.”
The commission will be responsible for managing funds allocated by the Federal Government for various projects, including the construction, reconstruction, and rehabilitation of roads, houses, and other infrastructure in the South West.
It will also focus on solving ecological and environmental issues to speed up the socioeconomic development of the South West states.
The bill now awaits presidential assent before the commission can be officially established.
