SENATE QUERIES NWDC OVER N943M BOARD ALLOWANCES
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By: Balogun Ibrahim
The Senate Committee on Regional Development on Tuesday questioned the operations of the North West Development Commission (NWDC), citing the prolonged delay in appointing executive directors, governance concerns and the spending of about N943 million on board allowances.
During an investigative hearing with officials of the commission and the Federal Ministry of Regional Development, lawmakers queried why the NWDC remains the only regional development commission without executive directors despite being among the first established by an Act of the National Assembly.
Committee Chairman, Senator Babangida Hussaini, also examined the commission’s financial records, governance framework and implementation of its mandate, warning that administrative shortcomings were hampering development efforts in the North-West, a region facing persistent insecurity and infrastructure challenges.
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Appearing before the panel, the Minister of State for Regional Development, Alhaji Uba Ahmadu, disclosed that the ministry had stepped in to resolve the long-running dispute over the commission’s office accommodation in Kano.
He explained that the NWDC initially operated from office spaces donated by private organisations, but disagreements over which facility should serve as its headquarters caused friction between the governing board and management.
According to the minister, the Kano State Government has now provided the commission with a fully furnished office complex, operational vehicles and a parcel of land.
Ahmadu said the ministry, board and management jointly took possession of the facility last week and ordered the closure of all other offices to put the dispute to rest.
“The North West Development Commission is the only commission that does not yet have executive directors. Every other regional commission has its complete management structure in place. Urgent action is needed to enable the commission to function effectively,” he told the committee.
He noted that the absence of executive directors had weakened the commission’s management structure and contributed to operational setbacks since its inauguration.
Although the governing board was inaugurated in February 2025 to facilitate the commission’s take-off, Ahmadu said it had continued to struggle with internal crises.
He contrasted the situation with other regional commissions, noting that the governments of Enugu, Oyo and Nasarawa states had provided office accommodation for their respective commissions without similar disputes.
The minister expressed confidence that the intervention by the Kano State Government would permanently resolve the headquarters issue.
During the hearing, senators also raised concerns over delays in convening board meetings, the commission’s financial management and what they described as excessive spending on board-related allowances.
Some lawmakers questioned how the board could claim inadequate funding while embarking on official visits to governors and other stakeholders.
Hussaini particularly criticised the payment of duty tour allowance to the Managing Director for a visit to the Kano State Governor, despite the commission’s headquarters being located in Kano, and queried claims covering air tickets, local transportation and other logistics.
“The committee was particularly alarmed by documents showing that out of N1.19 billion spent by the commission, N943 million—about 79 per cent—went to allowances for members of the governing board,” Hussaini said.
Lawmakers described the expenditure as excessive and inconsistent with the commission’s core mandate of driving development across the North-West.
Responding, Chairman of the Governing Board, Prof. Abdullahi Ma’aji, defended the board’s actions, insisting they complied with the provisions of the North West Development Commission Act, 2024.
He said the board had held seven meetings—five regular and two emergency sessions—during which it adopted 63 resolutions to establish the commission’s institutional and policy framework.
According to Ma’aji, the board approved standing orders, operational guidelines, committee structures, budget frameworks and principles for allocating funds among the seven North-West states.
He maintained that committee activities and sitting allowances were legitimate governance expenses under the enabling law.
However, he clarified that while the board approved expenditures, responsibility for processing payments rested with the commission’s management, particularly the Managing Director and the finance department.
Ma’aji also complained about the non-implementation of board resolutions, communication gaps and delays in executing key operational decisions, which he said had slowed the commission’s take-off.
Several senators insisted that the ministry must take responsibility for the failure to complete the commission’s management structure, especially the appointment of executive directors.
They argued that the prolonged vacancies had weakened the NWDC’s effectiveness at a time when the North-West urgently requires coordinated interventions to address insecurity and other socio-economic challenges.
Lawmakers further expressed concern over delays in staff recruitment and implementation of the commission’s capital budget, despite approvals reportedly granted since February.
At the end of the public hearing, the committee resolved to move into a closed-door executive session to deliberate on sensitive matters and seek additional clarifications from the officials.
The hearing is part of the Senate’s ongoing oversight of the newly established regional development commissions created to accelerate infrastructure development, economic recovery and peace-building across Nigeria’s six geo-political zones.
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