The Senate on Thursday passed the South-West Development Commission Establishment Bill for the third reading, paving the way for a new body to address infrastructural and ecological challenges in the region. The bill’s approval, following a report presented by Senator Kaka Shehu Lawan, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Special Duties, moves the legislation closer to presidential assent.
The commission, once established, would receive funding from the Federation Account, as well as donations from development partners and other sources, to foster socio-economic growth in the South-West. Senator Lawan explained that the commission’s aim is to tackle critical issues such as infrastructure deficits and ecological damage, similar to recently established commissions for other regions.
Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, who presided over the session, praised the committee for its work and expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu would assent to the bill, as he has done for other zonal development commissions.
However, while the Yoruba socio-political group Afenifere welcomed the creation of the commission, it reiterated that Nigeria’s deeper issue lies in the need for restructuring. Speaking through its Deputy Chairman, Oba Oladipo Olaitan, Afenifere argued that piecemeal solutions such as regional development commissions do not address the central problem of an overly centralised government.
“Nigeria is a federation,” Olaitan remarked. “These palliatives will only perpetuate poverty. The real solution lies in dismantling the central government’s stranglehold on power and devolving it to the federating units.”
Afenifere’s Organising Secretary, Abagun Kole Omololu, acknowledged the commission as a positive step, commending Senator Gbenga Daniel for sponsoring the bill. But he, too, emphasised that true progress would only come from broader systemic changes. National Publicity Secretary Jare Ajayi echoed this sentiment, urging the House of Representatives to pass the bill swiftly while calling on the President to give his assent without delay.
Despite the cautious optimism surrounding the bill’s passage, Afenifere’s position underscores a growing call for fundamental reform. As Nigeria grapples with both economic and structural challenges, the group insists that real change will come only when power is truly devolved to the regions, enabling them to govern and develop according to their unique needs and capacities.
