Nwuche Backs Stronger SSDC Funding, Pledges Accountability

The Chairman of the Governing Board of the South-South Development Commission (SSDC), Rt. Hon. Prince Chibudom Nwuche, OFR, attended the public hearing on the proposed amendment to the South-South Development Commission (Establishment) Act, 2025, where he reaffirmed his commitment to transparency, accountability and prudent management of the Commission’s resources.

The public hearing, organised by the House of Representatives Committee on the South-South Development Commission, was held on Wednesday at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja. It was chaired by the Committee Chairman, Hon. Julius Gbabojor Pondi, PhD, and focused on the amendment Bill (HB. 2674), sponsored by Hon. Pondi alongside 27 lawmakers.
The proposed amendment seeks to strengthen the Commission’s funding framework by expanding its statutory revenue sources to include contributions from extractive industries, agricultural processing companies, allocations from the Ecological Fund and a share of Value Added Tax (VAT) proceeds. The Bill is aimed at improving the Commission’s capacity to tackle developmental, environmental, ecological and infrastructural challenges in the South-South region while aligning its funding structure with those of other regional development commissions.
Among dignitaries present at the hearing were the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Sen. Rt. Hon. Heineken Lokpobiri; the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the SSDC, Ms. Nsoro Akpabio; representatives of the Federal Ministry of Regional Development; officials of the Bayelsa and Delta State Governments; and other stakeholders from across the South-South region.
Declaring the hearing open, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, PhD, described public hearings as vital expressions of participatory democracy, accountability and inclusive governance. He reaffirmed the House’s commitment to passing laws that address the aspirations and developmental needs of Nigerians.
In his presentation, Nwuche commended the Speaker, members of the House Committee and sponsors of the amendment Bill for initiating what he described as a timely review of the Commission’s funding framework.
He said the proposed amendments reflected current development financing realities and would place the South-South Development Commission on the same footing as other regional development commissions across the country.
Nwuche noted that funding provisions such as the 3 per cent contribution from oil and gas-producing companies, contributions from agricultural processing and mineral mining companies, and the allocation of 50 per cent of Ecological Fund resources due to member states already exist in the funding structures of comparable regional commissions, particularly the South East Development Commission. He questioned why the South-South Commission should operate with comparatively limited funding despite the region’s significant environmental and developmental challenges.
The SSDC Chairman assured participants that under his leadership, the Governing Board would strictly adhere to the provisions of its enabling law and due process. He pledged that transparency, accountability, integrity and prudent resource management would remain the Commission’s guiding principles, stressing that its resources would be devoted to the sustainable development of the South-South region rather than personal enrichment or what he described as “lifestyle enhancement.”
The former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives added that the South-South Development Commission (Establishment) Act provides a solid legal framework to drive President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s development vision for the region.
He also called on the House Committees overseeing regional development commissions to sustain effective constitutional oversight to ensure that their Boards and Management uphold their statutory responsibilities, maintain the highest standards of governance and deliver meaningful development to the people they were established to serve.