Senate passes South-West Development Commission Bill 2024

Abuja, Sept. 26, 2024 – The Senate on Thursday passed the South-West Development Commission Establishment Bill 2024 for the third reading.

This was after the adoption of a report on the Bill submitted by Sen. Kaka Shehu Lawan, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Special Duties.

Kaka, while presenting the report, said the intents and purposes of the Bill were for socio-economic development of South-West zone of Nigeria.

“If the Commission is established through presidential assent to the Bill, it will, like other development-driven commissions established on zonal basis, receive funds from the Federation Account, donations from development partners, etc, to address infrastructural deficits and tackle ecological problems in the region,” he said.

The Senate, thereafter, moved into the Committee of the Whole for a clause-by-clause consideration of the Bill, after which it was read for the third time and passed accordingly.

Senator Barau Jibrin, the Deputy Senate President, who presided over the session, commended Kaka’s committee for a job well done.

He said the South-West Development Commission, would like similar others recently established, address infrastructural and ecological challenges in the South-West.

“The essence of the various development commissions being set up is to fast-track development of the entire country.

“President Bola Tinubu has assented similar Bills passed for zonal development-driven interventions and will surely assent to this one,” Senator Barau said.