Three bills to improve infrastructural development in the South West, South East, and North Central geopolitical zones scaled second reading on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday.
Former Ogun State Governor and Senator representing Ogun East, Gbenga Daniel, presented the bill, titled “A Bill for an Act to Establish the South West Development Commission, 2023.” It was co-sponsored by all the senators in the region.
For the North Central Zone, Senator Sani Musa, representing Niger East, Sani Musa, presented “A Bill to Establish the North Central Development Commission Bill.”
It was co-sponsored by Minority Leader Abba Moro.
Presenting his lead debate, Senator Daniel recalled that the bill was read for the first time last August.
The former Ogun state governor observed that 21 per cent of Nigerians currently live in the South West, with its attendant strains on existing infrastructure.
He said, “SWDC aims to be forward-looking about filling in the gaps in critical areas of needs that can accelerate and stimulate development, such as mitigating the cost of land for agriculture, connecting roads and rails, managing the environment and ecology, and expanding frontiers of opportunities for our collective prosperity, etc.”
Senator Moro, who presented the lead debate for the North Central Development Commission, argued that when established, it would act as a catalyst for the development of the North Central Zone.
The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, referred both bills to the Senate Committee on Special Duties for further legislative action and to report back in four weeks.
A bill seeking the establishment of a South East Development Commission (SEDC) also scaled second reading.
The bill was transmitted to the Senate for concurrence by the House of Representatives, which has already passed it.
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