The newly established Southwest Development Commission has entered into a strategic partnership with the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria Commission to fast-track coordinated development across the region.
The collaboration was formalised on Thursday when the SWDC management team, led by its Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Dr Charles Akinola, paid a courtesy visit to the DAWN Commission headquarters at Cocoa House, Ibadan.
Other members of the SWDC delegation included the Executive Director, Corporate Services, Rt. Hon. Adefunmilayo Tejuoso; Executive Director, Finance, Hon. Tele Ogunjobi; and Executive Director, Commerce and Environmental Development, Alhaji Fatai Ibikunle.
The engagement marks the beginning of what both institutions describe as a symbiotic working relationship targeted at accelerating the commission’s operational take-off and strengthening regional integration.
Akinola said the partnership would enable the new commission to leverage DAWN’s 12-year experience, institutional frameworks and proven development models.
“This partnership represents a pragmatic approach to regional development,” he said. “By building on DAWN Commission’s track record and institutional memory, we can hit the ground running in critical sectors that deliver impact to our people faster and more effectively.”
The initial areas of focus under the collaboration include agricultural modernisation, railway infrastructure, human capital and social development, industrialisation, and technology and innovation. Both institutions also pledged to eliminate duplication and ensure efficient deployment of resources for maximum regional impact.
DAWN Commission’s Director-General, Dr Seye Oyeleye, who received the delegation, described the partnership as a significant step towards deepening regional cooperation.
“Our 12 years of experience working across Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti states have taught us valuable lessons,” he said. “We are pleased to share this knowledge with SWDC to ensure the Southwest benefits from coordinated and efficient development interventions.”
The two organisations also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what they termed his strategic leadership in making regional development a central pillar of national progress. They noted that the establishment of development commissions across the geopolitical zones reflects the Federal Government’s resolve to address regional disparities and unlock broader socioeconomic potential.
Akinola and Oyeleye similarly applauded the Southwest Governors’ Forum, chaired by Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for sustaining the region’s long-standing culture of collaboration and supporting institutional structures that promote shared prosperity.
Both institutions said the partnership signalled a new era of development synergy in the Southwest, with a commitment to delivering measurable impact for the region’s estimated 40 million residents.
