The Senate passed a bill seeking the establishment of the North Central Development Commission (NCDC) into law on Thursday.
The passage of the bill sponsored by Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro, followed the adoption of the report of the Senate Committee on Special Duties submitted during plenary.
The bill passed its first and second readings on 5 October 2023 and 21 February 2024 respectively.
It was first sponsored in the 9th Senate by Senator Moro but could not get presidential assent before the expiration of the Assembly.
Senator Moro, who represents Benue South, had argued in his lead debate that the commission would be saddled with the management of funds from the government and donors for the resettlement, rehabilitation, integration, and reconstruction of roads, houses, and businesses of victims of flood and farmer/herder conflicts.
He added that such funds would also be used for the construction of drainage systems, the dredging of Rivers Niger and Benue to control flood and incidental matters, and tackling poverty and illiteracy.
The Deputy Senate President, Senator Jibrin Barau, presided over the plenary and expressed optimism that President Bola Tinubu would assent to the bill.
Nigeria’s North Central region is made up of Kogi, Niger, Benue, Kwara, Plateau, and Nasarawa States.
