Senator Barau’s bill on North West Development Commission passes first reading

By Baba Aminu

A bill seeking the establishment of the North West Development Commission (NWDC), sponsored by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I. Jibrin has passed its first reading at the Senate.

A statement issued by Ismail Mudashir, Special Adviser to the Deputy President of the Senate, Media & Publicity, on Wednesday, said the bill titled, North West Development Commission (Establishment) Bill, 2023, passed through first reading during Tuesday’s plenary season of the Senate presided over by the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio.

SOLACEBASE reports that the Clerk to the Senate, Barrister Chinedu Akubueze, read the short title of the bill during the plenary session.

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The statement said the commission when established would accelerate the development of the commercial and industrial potentials of the North West geopolitical zone, comprising seven states; Kano, Kaduna, Kebbi, Katsina, Jigawa, Sokoto, and Zamfara.

Also, the NWDC when established will receive and manage funds for the agricultural and industrial development of the North West geopolitical zone.

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In the last 10 years, states in the North West geopolitical zone especially Kaduna, Katsina, Sokoto, and Zamfara have been battling with security challenges, thereby retarding their development.

Specifically, the commission when established will formulate policies and guidelines for the development of the North West in the areas of roads, education, health, employment, industrialization, agriculture, housing and urban development, water supply, electricity, and commerce.

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The bill would soon be listed for a second reading for deliberation on its general merits and principles.