The Pan Yoruba Socio-political and cultural organization, Afenifere, has thrown its weight behind the Southwest Development Agenda signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The Spokesperson of the mainstream Yoruba organisation, Comrade Jare Ajayi said Regional Development Commissions signed into law have the potentials of accelerating development.
Tinubu had signed three bills into law. They were the South-West Development Commission Bill, the South-South Development Commission Bill, and the Nigeria Anti-Doping Bill, 2025.
In his reaction to the signing of the bills into law, Ajayi stated that the signing of regional development commissions’ bills into law by President Tinubu “is the right thing to do”.
According to him, the establishment of the remaining regional development commissions further demonstrated President Tinubu’s commitment to regional empowerment and economic development, ‘as affirmed by Senator Basheer Lado, Special Adviser to the President on Senate Matters.
Afenifere spokesman that regional commissions should also engender endogenous initiatives to catalyze development from the local levels.
His words, “It is in the public domain that Afenifere has always advocated for a system that will challenge creativity at local, state, regional, and national levels. It is one of the main reasons for our unrelenting advocacy for Restructuring. The creation of regional development commissions can be seen as an instrument pointing in the direction of our advocacy”.
Ajayi said although the creation of regional development commissions does not fully appropriate the kind of restructuring that Afenifere is calling for, “establishment of the commissions for each of the geo-political zones in the country is an admission or acknowledgment of the need to restructure.”
Ajayi expressed optimism that the establishment of the Commissions will accelerate economic development and create more opportunities.
The Spokesperson of the group said Afenifere shares the optimism of Senator Gbenga Daniel that “the South-West Development Commission will definitely accelerate economic growth, improve infrastructure, and create more opportunities for the people of the region”.
According to him, Daniel was the one who moved the motion for the establishment of the South West Development Commission (SWDC) in the Upper Chamber.
