Senator Barau Jibril Maliya has explained why he initiated and sponsored the bill for the North West Development Commission (NWDC), stating that it aims to enhance regional development in Nigeria.
This was disclosed on Saturday in Gusau, the Zamfara State capital, during an awareness campaign for the creation of the North West Development Commission organized by the Northern Nigeria All Progressives Congress (APC) Media Network, held at Command Guest House in the state.
Senator Barau Jibril, who was represented by the Director General of New Media in the office of the Deputy Senate President, Alhaji Bashir Yusuf, said the establishment of the NWDC would bring much-needed development to the region and the country.
According to him, the NWDC would improve educational standards, provide employment opportunities, create jobs, and bring about various forms of development.
“I believe in the next few months, the NWDC will start showing its impact when it fully takes off in the region,” he assured.
“Essentially, the bill seeks to provide for the establishment of the North West Development Commission to act as a catalyst for developing the array of potentials in the North West and addressing the gap in infrastructural development in the region.”
During the event, a paper was presented by Bashir Mohammed Ranccas, Director of Research, Planning, and Strategy of the Northern Nigeria APC Media Network, titled “Role of the North West Development Commission as a Panacea to the Region’s Problems.”
Bashir Ranccas stressed that the North West Development Commission was set up to facilitate the reconstruction of roads, houses, and business premises destroyed by multidimensional crises, as well as tackle poverty, literacy levels, ecological problems, and other related environmental or development challenges in North West states.
According to him, the North West region has significantly contributed to Nigeria’s development, particularly in agriculture.
“What the region needs is support from the federal government to develop its teeming youth, infrastructure, agriculture, and more to grow on par with other zones,” he mentioned.
He provided a demographic background, noting that 70% of the population are youth, with a moderate poverty rate, and the region is primarily agrarian with limited access to education and healthcare.
He emphasized that the major challenges facing the North West region include poverty and unemployment, compounded by security issues such as banditry, kidnapping, and cattle rustling.
“The North West region of Nigeria faces severe socio-economic challenges, including infrastructural decay, poverty, youth unemployment, insecurity, and inequality. These issues have resulted in significant human and economic losses, with far-reaching consequences for the region’s development.”
Those in attendance at the event included the State APC Chairman, represented by the State Secretary of the party, Alhaji Gado Umar Dangaladima, as well as youth groups, women, and politicians in the state.
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