Reviving the North-West: Speaker Abbas Tasks NWDC with Urgent Needs Assessment
By Raymond Enoch
The Hon Speaker House of Representative Hon Abbas Tajudeen GCON have in a landmark move tasked the newly established North-West Development Commission (NWDC) with conducting a comprehensive needs assessment of the region.
Speaking at the inauguration of the House Committee on North-West Development Commission at the National Assembly, Speaker Abbas emphasized that the new commission must develop a strategic roadmap to address the region’s pressing challenges and unlock its vast potential
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“As someone from the North-West and a legislator who championed the bill leading to this commission’s establishment, this moment holds deep personal significance,” Speaker Abbas stated. “It reaffirms our duty to drive development and improve the well-being of our people.”
The Speaker highlighted the historical significance of the North-West as a hub of agricultural excellence, producing staple crops such as millet, sorghum, and groundnuts in abundance. With a population exceeding 47 million, the region remains a powerhouse of cultural and economic potential. However, Speaker Abbas lamented that insecurity, environmental degradation, and policy neglect have significantly hampered its progress.
“The once-thriving textile industry in Kaduna and Kano, which employed over 500,000 workers in the 1980s, now struggles with fewer than 20,000 workers due to policy inertia and rising insecurity,” he noted. “These setbacks have stifled economic growth and diminished livelihoods. However, we must view these challenges as calls to action that the NWDC is uniquely positioned to address.”
To ensure the success of the NWDC, Speaker Abbas underscored the need for a detailed needs assessment across the zone, which will inform a comprehensive 10-year strategic plan. This blueprint, he explained, must include measurable goals and actionable strategies to guide interventions, attract partners, mobilize resources, and ensure accountability.
Furthermore, he urged the commission to adopt a multi-stakeholder approach involving state governments, traditional institutions, civil society, and the private sector to guarantee sustainable impact.
“Innovative financing models, such as public-private partnerships and development bonds, must be explored to supplement government funding. This is a time for bold ideas and decisive action,” he asserted.
Speaker Abbas also praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for his commitment to regional development, citing his administration’s creation of the Ministry of Regional Development and his swift assent to various regional development bills.
“Through transformative actions like granting local government autonomy, decongesting the exclusive legislative list, and signing into law the Electricity Act (Amendment) Bill, 2024, the President has demonstrated an unyielding dedication to empowering regions and fostering grassroots development,” the Speaker said.
Hon. Sulaiman Abubakar Gumi, chairman of the newly inaugurated House Committee on NWDC, reaffirmed the committee’s resolve to oversee the commission’s activities and ensure excellence in its operations. He outlined the committee’s core mandates, which include coordinating development efforts, engaging stakeholders, and overseeing budget approvals to drive sustainable growth in the region.
“As we embark on this noble task, we must foster collaboration among stakeholders to ensure impactful results,” Hon. Gumi stated.
With the North-West standing at a crossroads between stagnation and progress, the establishment of the NWDC and the House Committee’s oversight mark a crucial step toward the region’s long-overdue transformation. The coming months will determine how effectively these initiatives translate into tangible improvements for the millions who call the North-West home.
