The board and management of the newly created Northwest Development Commission have been asked to pursue urgent and coordinated policies towards addressing the challenges of insecurity, poverty, and infrastructural decay ravaging the region
Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas who made this known during the inauguration of the House Committee on Northwest Development Commission emphasized that the region’s developmental crisis must be tackled head-on to prevent further deterioration.
The speaker asked the Commission to conduct a comprehensive needs assessment across the geopolitical zone and develop a 10-year strategic plan to guide its interventions insisting that the plan must be backed by innovative financing mechanisms, including public-private partnerships and development bonds, to ensure sustainability.
Abbas lamented the devastating impact of insecurity on the region’s economy, noting that once-booming industries such as the textile sector in Kaduna and Kano have nearly collapsed due to violence and policy failures.
He called on the newly inaugurated House Committee to exercise robust oversight, ensuring that the Commission delivers on its mandate without political interference or mismanagement.
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Chairman of the House Committee on the North-West Development Commission, Suleiman Gumi, pledged to lead a transparent and results-driven approach to addressing the socio-economic and security challenges in the region.
Gumi pledged the committee’s commitment to carrying out its broad mandate which includes monitoring and coordinating the commission’s activities, engaging with development partners, and collaborating with the private sector to drive rehabilitation, resettlement, and regional growth across the seven states of the North-West of Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, and Zamfara.
He emphasized that security remains at the core of the Commission’s mandate, stressing that sustainable development can not be achieved in a region plagued by banditry, kidnapping, and economic downturns.
Gumi outlined his vision for the Committee, vowing to ensure that the Commission’s initiatives are people-driven, inclusive, and anchored on transparency and accountability.
(Editor : Ena Agbanoma)
