Senate on Thursday approved the establishment of the South West Development Commission following consideration of a report by its Committee on Special Duties.

Chairman of the committee, Senator Kaka Shehu Lawan (APC Borno Central) presented the South West Development Commission Bill, 2024 after which it was passed for third reading by the Senate during plenary.

Senator Kaka, in his presentation of the report for establishment of South West Development Commission, said the intents and purposes of the bill, are well structured for socio-economic development of South West.

“If the Commission is established through presidential assent to the bill, it will like other development-driven commissions established on zonal basis, receives 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, accordingly moved into committee of the whole for clause by clause consideration of the bill after which it was read for the third time.

In his remarks after the passage of the bill, the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Jibrin Barau, who presided over the session, commended Senator Kaka- led committee for a job well done.

According to him, the South West Development Commission, like other ones, recently established, would address the 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 to similar bills passed for zonal development-driven interventions and will surely assent to this one,” he said.