…Says region deserves funding comparable to other regional commissions

By John Alechenu

ABUJA — Chairman of the Governing Board of the South-South Development Commission (SSDC), Rt. Hon. Chibudom Nwuche, has called for a review of the commission’s funding structure to align it with those of other regional development commissions.

Nwuche made the appeal during a public hearing organised by the House of Representatives Committee on the South-South Development Commission on a bill seeking to amend the South-South Development Commission (Establishment) Act, 2025. The hearing was held at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja.

The bill, HB. 2674, sponsored by the committee chairman, Hon. Julius Gbabojor Pondi, and 27 other lawmakers, seeks to expand the commission’s revenue base by providing additional funding sources.

Among its proposals are contributions from extractive and agricultural processing companies, allocations from the Ecological Fund and a share of Value Added Tax (VAT) proceeds.

Nwuche said the proposed amendments reflect current realities and would place the SSDC on a similar footing with other regional development commissions.

According to him, provisions such as a three per cent contribution from oil and gas companies, levies on agricultural and mining firms, and allocations from the Ecological Fund already exist in the funding frameworks of other regional commissions.

He argued that the South-South Development Commission should have access to adequate funding, given the region’s environmental challenges and infrastructure needs.

Also present at the hearing were the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri; the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the SSDC, Ms. Nsoro Akpabio; officials of the Federal Ministry of Regional Development; representatives of Bayelsa and Delta states; and other stakeholders.

Declaring the hearing open, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, said public hearings remain an important component of participatory democracy and legislative accountability.

He reaffirmed the House’s commitment to enacting laws that address the country’s development priorities.

Nwuche assured the committee that the commission’s governing board would be guided by due process, transparency and accountability in the discharge of its responsibilities.

He said the commission’s resources would be managed prudently and deployed to projects that promote the sustainable development of the South-South region.

The former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives also noted that the SSDC Act provides the legal framework for implementing development initiatives in the region and called for sustained legislative oversight to ensure the commission effectively delivers on its mandate.