The Senate, yesterday, approved the South West Development Commission Establishment Bill 2024 for third reading. The bill’s passage for a third reading followed the submission of a report by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Special Duties, Kaka Shehu Lawan, during plenary.

Kaka, while highlighting that the bill aims to drive socio-economic growth in the South West region, said that once established, the South West Development Commission would access funding from the Federation Account and development partners to address infrastructural gaps and ecological challenges in the region.

Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, who presided over the plenary, commended the committee for its work and expressed confidence that the Commission would help resolve key developmental issues in the South West.

Jibrin further noted that President Bola Tinubu would be expected to assent to the bill as done with similar regional development initiatives aimed at fostering nationwide progress.

MEANWHILE, Director-General, Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission, Seye Oyeleye and Chairman, Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG), Wale Oshun, have on behalf of the Southwest governors and other stakeholders commended the National Assembly for passing the bill for third reading.

The two bodies said that hopefully, the bill would be passed and eventually signed into law. DAWN and ARG, while reacting on the development in separate interactions, said that the bill, if eventually passed and signed into law, would translate to massive development of Yorubaland, especially in the areas of railway and land transportation, security, agriculture and youth empowerment.

Oyeleye said: “What would make the SWDC bill totally different is that there is already a template upon which the DAWN Commission would work. Oshun, on his part, said the concept would reintroduce the regional idea of competitive developments across the six regions, considering the enormous resources that will be going into the various commissions.

ALSO, the umbrella body of Yoruba youth groups, Yoruba Youth Socio-Cultural Association (YYSA), and a former Secretary-General of Yoruba Council of Elders, Dr Kunle Olajide, yesterday, lauded the National Assembly for expediting action on the creation of the South-west Development Commission.

The YYSA President, Olalekan Hammed, gave his commendation in a statement made available to The Guardian in Ibadan. Olajide, while speaking with The Guardian, lauded the move, saying he supports anything that would bring development to South-West region.

He said that as other regions have such agency, the government must reciprocate the same gesture in the South-West.