By Henry Umoru

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

Speaking on Tuesday at the inaugural meeting of the committee for the Commission, Chairman, South West Development Committee, Senator Yunus Abiodun Akintunde, APC Oyo Central, outlined a bold and ambitious roadmap for transforming the region into a national model of integrated development, economic revitalisation, and infrastructure renewal.

Senator Akintunde, who noted the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria is a legacy framework that already offers strong data, strategy, 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 Southwest 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 to leave a lasting impact on bridging infrastructural deficits in the zone and fast-tracking its development generally.”

The Chairman of the Committee, who noted that the commission must move beyond paper mandates to real-world impact, said, “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.

Other senators, who spoke at the inaugural meeting, however, echoed the chairman’s vision by highlighting infrastructure and human capital development as twin pillars for the commission’s success.

Some of the Senators were Gbenga Daniel (Ogun East), Shuaibu Afolabi (Ogun Central), Wasiu Eshinlokun (Lagos Central), Iya Abbas (Adamawa Central), Bilbis Ikra (Zamfara Central), Yemi Adaramodu (Ekiti South) among others.