The House of Representatives has commenced consideration of a bill seeking to expand the funding sources of the South-South Development Commission (SSDC) to enhance its capacity to address developmental challenges in the region.
Leading the debate on the bill’s second reading, Hon. Julius Gbabojor Pondi, representing Burutu Federal Constituency of Delta State, said the proposed amendment to the South-South Development Commission (Establishment) Act, 2025, was aimed at strengthening the commission’s funding framework.
Pondi, who sponsored the bill alongside 27 other lawmakers, explained that the proposal did not seek to introduce new mandates or alter the commission’s institutional structure, but rather to align its funding provisions with those of other regional development commissions.
According to him, a review of the commission’s establishment law showed that its funding framework was comparatively limited when measured against similar commissions across the country.
He said the bill seeks to amend Section 15 of the principal Act to provide additional funding streams from extractive and productive economic activities within the region, ecological fund allocations accruing to member states, value-added tax (VAT) revenues accruing to the states, as well as grants, donations and other lawful contributions.
Pondi noted that the proposed funding sources were already contained in the enabling laws of other regional development commissions and were intended to promote equity, uniformity and institutional effectiveness.
He added that the amendment would strengthen the commission’s ability to deliver on infrastructure development, environmental remediation and socio-economic intervention programmes across the South-South region.
The lawmaker urged his colleagues to support the bill, describing it as necessary for the effective functioning of the commission and the development of the region.
The bill was subsequently read for the second time, passed and directed to the relevant committee for further legislative action.