Senate passes bill to establish South West Development Commission

The senate has passed a bill seeking to establish the South West Development Commission.

The bill passed third reading on the floor of the senate on Thursday after Kaka Lawan, chair of the committee on special duties, presented a report.

Lawan said the bill, if signed into law by the president, would address infrastructural deficits and tackle ecological problems in the south-west geo-political zone.

“The intents and purposes of the bill are well structured for the socio-economic development of south-west,” he said.

“If the commission is established through presidential assent to the bill, it will be like other development-driven commissions established on zonal basis.

“It will receive funds from the federation account, donations from development partners etc to address infrastructural deficits and tackle ecological problems in the region.”

Barau Jibrin, deputy president of the senate, said the commission would address the developmental issues in the south-west.

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

The bill passed third reading after the senators voted on the clauses of the legislation.

Recently, the upper legislative chamber has passed bills to establish the North West Development Commission, North Central Development Commission and South East Development Commission.