THE Senate Committee on Regional Development on Tuesday questioned the operations of the North West Development Commission (NWDC) over the delayed appointment of executive directors, alleged governance challenges and the expenditure of about N943 million on board allowances.
News Point Nigeria reports that the committee raised the concerns during an investigative session involving officials of the commission and the Federal Ministry of Regional Development, where lawmakers questioned why the NWDC remains the only regional development commission without executive directors despite being among the earliest established under an Act of the National Assembly.
The Chairman of the Committee, Senator Babangida Hussaini, scrutinised the commission’s financial records, governance structure and implementation of its mandate, warning that administrative shortcomings were slowing development interventions in the North-West, a region facing serious insecurity challenges and infrastructure deficits.
Appearing before the committee, the Minister of State for Regional Development, Alhaji Uba Ahmadu, disclosed that the ministry had intervened in the prolonged dispute surrounding the office accommodation of the commission in Kano.
Ahmadu explained that the NWDC initially operated from office spaces donated by private organisations but disagreements over which facility should serve as the commission’s headquarters created tension between the governing board and management.
According to the minister, the Kano State Government has now provided a fully furnished office complex, operational vehicles and a plot of land for the commission.
He said the ministry, governing board and management jointly took over the facility last week, directing that all other offices be shut to resolve the lingering dispute.
“The North West Development Commission is the only commission that does not yet have executive directors. Every other regional commission has its full management structure in place. Something has to be done urgently so that the commission can function effectively,” Ahmadu told the committee.
The minister said the absence of executive directors had weakened the management structure of the commission and contributed to some of its operational difficulties since inauguration.
He noted that although the governing board was inaugurated in February 2025 to accelerate the take-off of the commission, it had continued to encounter one challenge after another.
Ahmadu also compared the NWDC situation with other regional commissions, noting that governments of Enugu, Oyo and Nasarawa states had provided office accommodation for their respective commissions without similar controversies.
He expressed optimism that the latest intervention by the Kano State Government would finally settle the headquarters issue and allow the commission to focus on its mandate.
During the hearing, senators raised concerns over delays in convening board meetings, financial management practices and what they described as excessive expenditure on board-related allowances.
Some lawmakers questioned how the commission could claim inadequate funding while embarking on official visits to governors and other stakeholders.
Senator Hussaini specifically faulted 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.
He questioned the inclusion of air tickets, local transportation and other logistics expenses in the claim.
“The committee was particularly alarmed by documents indicating that out of N1.19bn spent by the commission, N943m was used for allowances paid to members of the governing board, representing about 79 per cent of the expenditure under the subhead,” Hussaini said.
Lawmakers described the figure as disturbing and inconsistent with the purpose for establishing the commission, which is to drive development across the North-West region.
Responding to the allegations, the Chairman of the NWDC Governing Board, Prof. Abdullahi Ma’aji, defended the activities of the board, insisting that they were carried out in accordance with the provisions of the North West Development Commission Act, 2024.
Ma’aji said the board had held seven meetings, comprising five regular and two emergency sessions, during which it adopted 63 resolutions aimed at building the commission’s institutional and policy framework.
According to him, 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 permitted under the enabling law.
However, he explained that there was a difference between approving expenditures and releasing funds, noting that while the board authorised governance expenses, responsibility for processing payments rested with the commission’s management, particularly the Managing Director and finance department.
The board chairman also complained about what he described as the non-implementation of board resolutions, communication gaps and delays in executing important operational decisions, which he said had affected the smooth take-off of the commission.
Several senators insisted that the ministry must take responsibility for the failure to complete the commission’s management structure, particularly the appointment of executive directors.
They argued that the prolonged vacancies had weakened the effectiveness of the NWDC at a time when the North-West urgently requires coordinated development programmes to address insecurity and socio-economic challenges.
Lawmakers also 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 issues and obtain further clarifications from officials of the commission and ministry.
The hearing is part of the Senate’s ongoing oversight of newly established regional development commissions created to accelerate infrastructure development, economic recovery and peace-building across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.