President Bola Tinubu has signed the South-West and South-South Development Commission bills into law.
The announcement was made by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, during plenary on Wednesday.
Kalu emphasized that no effort is too great when it comes to ensuring development reaches the grassroots. “With the establishment of these development commissions, the impact of this administration will be felt at the grassroots level,” he stated. He also expressed gratitude to the President for completing the development process for all geo-political zones.
Earlier, during Tuesday’s plenary, Senate President Godswill Akpabio confirmed that the President had assented to the South-West Development Commission (SWDC) Bill and South-South Development Commission (SSDC) Bill.
“Just to inform distinguished senators, Mr. President has assented to the remaining regional development bills — the South-West Development Commission Bill and the South-South Development Commission Bill. We now have all the regional development commissions legally in place,” Akpabio said.
Akpabio expressed his appreciation to President Tinubu for his collaboration with the National Assembly in signing the bills into law. He emphasized that the commissions would create more job opportunities for Nigerians and drive development at the grassroots level.
“We thank the President. We are grateful for his cooperation. This is a step forward in job creation and bringing development to the grassroots,” he added.
The newly established regional commissions will focus on enhancing infrastructure, economic growth, and social welfare in their respective regions.
The SWDC Bill, which was passed by the Senate in September 2024 with significant support, was then transmitted to the House of Representatives for concurrence. It was sponsored by Senator Gbenga Daniel of Ogun East.
Likewise, the SSDC Bill was passed in October 2024 and forwarded to the House of Representatives. This bill was sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong of Cross River South.
These new commissions join the North-West Development Commission and South-East Development Commission, both of which were signed into law by President Tinubu in July 2024. Their respective boards have since been constituted and confirmed by the Senate.
