Senate Grills NWDC Over ₦943m Board Allowances, Leadership Vacuum

The Senate Committee on Regional Development on Tuesday questioned the management and governing board of the North West Development Commission (NWDC) over the payment of ₦943 million in board allowances, the prolonged delay in appointing executive directors and other administrative challenges affecting the commission.

The issues came to the fore during an investigative hearing involving officials of the commission and the Federal Ministry of Regional Development.

Lawmakers expressed concern that the NWDC remains the only regional development commission without executive directors, despite being among the first established under an Act of the National Assembly.

Minister of State for Regional Development, Alhaji Uba Maigari Ahmadu, attributed part of the commission’s challenges to a prolonged dispute over its office accommodation in Kano.

He explained that the commission initially operated from offices donated by private organisations before disagreements arose over which facility should serve as its permanent headquarters.

According to the minister, the Kano State Government has now provided a fully furnished office complex, operational vehicles and land for the commission.

He disclosed that the ministry, governing board and management jointly took possession of the facility last week and directed that all other offices be closed to end the controversy.

“The North West Development Commission is the only regional development commission that has no executive directors. Every other commission has a complete management structure. This gap must be addressed urgently for the commission to function effectively,” Ahmadu told the committee.

He said the absence of executive directors has weakened the commission’s administrative structure and contributed to its operational setbacks since the board was inaugurated in February 2025.

The minister added that unlike Kano, states such as Enugu, Oyo and Nasarawa provided office accommodation for their regional commissions without disputes.

During the hearing, senators also scrutinised the commission’s financial records, particularly expenditure on board activities.

Lawmakers questioned how the board claimed inadequate funding while embarking on official visits and approving significant governance expenses.

The committee also queried a Duty Tour Allowance reportedly paid to the Managing Director for an official visit to the Governor of Kano State, despite the commission being headquartered in Kano.

Senators asked why the claim reportedly included air tickets, local transportation and other travel expenses for what should have been a local engagement.

The lawmakers expressed greater concern after documents presented before the committee showed that ₦943 million out of the ₦1.19 billion spent by the commission was used for board allowances, representing about 79 per cent of the expenditure under that budget heading.

Members of the committee described the figure as alarming, stressing that resources meant for development should not be disproportionately spent on governance costs.

Responding, Chairman of the Governing Board, Abdullahi Lawal, defended the board’s actions, saying all its decisions were guided by the North West Development Commission Act, 2024.

He said the board had held seven meetings—five statutory and two emergency sessions—and passed 63 resolutions covering operational guidelines, committee structures, budget frameworks and fund allocation principles for the seven North-West states.

Lawal maintained that board meetings, committee activities and sitting allowances were legitimate governance expenses permitted by law.

He, however, said responsibility for disbursing approved funds rested with the commission’s management, particularly the Managing Director and finance department.

The board chairman also accused the management of failing to implement several board resolutions, citing communication gaps and delays in executing key operational decisions.

Several senators blamed the Federal Ministry of Regional Development for failing to complete the commission’s management structure through the appointment of executive directors, arguing that the vacuum has hampered the agency’s ability to fulfil its mandate.

The lawmakers also raised concerns over delays in staff recruitment and the implementation of capital projects, despite approvals reportedly granted months ago.

They stressed that the commission was created to accelerate development, address insecurity and improve infrastructure across the North-West, warning that continued administrative disputes would undermine those objectives.

At the end of the hearing, the committee resolved to proceed into a closed-door executive session to receive further briefings from the ministry and commission officials before taking further legislative action.