Vice President Kashim Shettima on Wednesday pressed the newly formed South-West Development Commission (SWDC) to prioritize tangible projects and private-sector investment over internal procedures.
The Vice President said Nigerians will judge the body by jobs created and roads completed rather than paperwork.
Speaking at a courtesy meeting with the commission’s management at the Presidential Villa Abuja, Shettima described the commission as part of a broader effort by President Bola Tinubu’s administration to unlock regional strengths for national growth.
The delegation was led by board chairman Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi.
“The South‑West region, with its history of enterprise, innovation, education and industry, has a pivotal role to play in Nigeria’s development journey,” Vice President Shettima said.
In a statement by his media aide Stanley Nkwocha, the Vice President said “Your commission must be known for delivery, not bureaucracy.”
He urged commission officials to make projects transparent, measurable and attractive to private investors, saying the government’s job is to create an enabling environment for investment.
Shettima also described the administration’s “Renewed Hope Agenda” as a mandate to convert policy into concrete improvements in citizens’ lives.
He called for collaboration with state governments, traditional institutions, the private sector and development partners, warning against treating sister agencies as rivals.
“Development succeeds when institutions collaborate, not compete,” he said, urging peer review and idea-sharing with other regional development commissions.
Senator Adetunmbi, in turn, praised President Tinubu’s economic and structural reforms and outlined the commission’s proposed roadmap for infrastructure and human-capital interventions.
He said the commission plans a baseline study to guide programming and sought guidance on coordinating with state governments through the National Economic Council to avoid duplication.
Present at the meeting were the commission’s Managing Director, Dr. Charles Akinola, executive directors and representatives from the South‑West states.
The South‑West Development Commission is one of several regional bodies established by the Tinubu administration to complement existing agencies such as the Niger Delta Development Commission and the North East Development Commission.
