By Olugbenga Salami
The Senate Committee on Regional Development has queried the North West Development Commission, NWDC, over the expenditure of N943 million on board allowances and the continued absence of executive directors nearly 18 months after its establishment.
At an investigative session with officials of the commission and the Federal Ministry of Regional Development on Tuesday, lawmakers described the spending pattern as “disturbing” and said it was inconsistent with the mandate of the commission to address insecurity and infrastructure deficits in the North West.
Documents before the committee showed that out of N1.19 billion spent by the NWDC, N943 million, representing about 79 per cent, went to allowances for members of the governing board.
Senators also raised concerns over delays in convening board meetings, staff recruitment, and implementation of the capital budget approved since February 2025.
Minister of State for Regional Development, Alhaji Uba Maigari Ahmadu, told the committee that the NWDC remains the only regional commission without executive directors despite being among the first to be established by an Act of the National Assembly.
“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,” he said.
Ahmadu said the absence of executive directors had weakened the management structure and contributed to operational difficulties since inauguration.
He noted that while the board was inaugurated in February 2025 to prevent delay, the commission had continued to grapple with crises.
The minister also disclosed that the ministry had resolved a lingering dispute over office accommodation in Kano. He said the Kano State Government had now provided a fully furnished office, operational vehicles and a plot of land, and that the ministry, board and management had taken over the facility last week.
He added that other state governments in Enugu, Oyo and Nasarawa had provided office accommodation for their commissions without controversy.
Lawmakers expressed alarm over how the board could claim to have no cash backing while undertaking official visits to governors and stakeholders.
One of them specifically questioned the payment of duty tour allowance to the Managing Director for a visit to the Governor of Kano State, despite the commission’s headquarters being located in Kano. The claim reportedly included air tickets, local transport and other running costs.
Chairman of the Governing Board, Professor Abdullahi Shehu Ma’aji, defended the board’s activities, saying they were backed by the North West Development Commission Act, 2024.
