By Henry Umoru

ABUJA —THE Senate has assured that the newly created South West Development Commission, SWDC, will not only thrive but make a difference as well as leave a lasting impact on bridging infrastructural deficits in the zone and fast-track overall development.

Speaking at the inaugural meeting of the committee for the Commission, yesterday, in Abuja, the Chairman of the South-West Development Committee, Senator Yunus Akintunde, outlined a bold and ambitious roadmap for transforming the region into a national model of integrated development, economic revitalization, and infrastructure renewal.

Senator Akintunde, who noted that the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria is a legacy framework that already offers strong data and regional buy-in, stressed the need for the Commission to leverage this groundwork, engage all stakeholders across the six states, and create a development template for the rest of the country.

He said: “The South-West is the industrial and commercial hub of Nigeria. Our forebears have handed us a legacy and a template, it is now our duty to hand our children a banner without stain.

“The goal of the commission under our oversight is not just to function but to thrive, make a difference and leave a lasting impact on bridging infrastructural deficits in the zone and fast-tracking its development generally.

“This is a mandate for action—not bureaucracy. We are committed to building a Commission that delivers results jobs, roads, innovation hubs, and real opportunities for our people.”

According to him, the Committee will operate on the principles of transparency, innovation, and accountability, ensuring that every intervention meets the practical needs of communities across Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, and Ekiti states.