The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has inaugurated the Committee on the North-West Development Commission (NWDC).
Mr. Tajudeen, says urgent and coordinated actions are needed to address the security challenges, poverty, and infrastructural decay ravaging the North-West region of the country.
Mr. Tajudeen spoke when he inaugurated the House Committee on the North West Development Commission, NWDC in Abuja.
The North West is still basking in the euphoria of the recent creation of a development commission in the zone.
For so long, the zone has faced systemic neglect, worsening insecurity, decaying infrastructure and economic decline leading to poverty among the people.
The establishment of a regional commission raises hope that prevailing challenges in the region will soon be in the past.
The Speaker is the sponsor of the bill which has now become a law.
He appreciated the support of President Bola Tinubu in the accelerated transformation of the bill into an Act of the parliament.
As he inaugurates the standing committee that will oversee the activities of the new commission, the Speaker insists the region’s developmental crisis must be tackled head-on to prevent further deterioration.
He called on the commission to conduct a comprehensive needs assessment across the zone and develop a 10-year strategic plan to guide its interventions.
In his address, Abbas emphasised the need for a comprehensive needs assessment to identify priority areas for intervention.
He highlighted the North-West’s economic and cultural significance, noting that despite its population of over 47 million people, the region has suffered from insecurity, environmental degradation, and economic decline.
The committee unveiled a workplan and pledged to adopt transparent and results-driven approaches to addressing the socio-economic and security challenges in the region.
The Speaker urged the commission to adopt a multi-stakeholder approach by collaborating with state governments, traditional institutions, civil society, and the private sector to ensure sustainable impact.
Key areas of focus for the committee include youth empowerment, infrastructure development, improved security and leveraging the region’s agricultural and commercial potential to drive sustainable economic growth.
