Convener of the pressure group, South South Reawakening Group. Mr. Joseph Ambakederimo has advocated increased funding and timely release of funds for the South South Development Commission.
The Elder statesman told journalists in Yenagoa that the budgetary provision appropriated in 2026 for the South South Development Commission is grossly inadequate, calling for an increase by a larger percentage and quick release of the funds for the Commission to effectively get off the ground.
He noted that timely release of a substantial portion of the budgetary provisions to the management of the Commission for project execution would go a long way in stabilizing the Commission in the future and also enable us to begin to see remarkable improvements in the region’s infrastructure.
Mr. Ambakederimo appealed to President Bola Tinubu to direct the Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, to promptly release funds due to the South South Development Commission, which will invigorate the region’s economy.
He emphasized that the South South Development Commission is led by a woman who can be described as an Amazon in her own right, but warned that if the agency is starved of funding, this could weaken the management’s ability to perform and inadvertently diminish her management prowess.
The elder statesman urged the Commission to prioritize life-impacting projects, stressing that the quick take-off of the Commission will further drive industrial growth and promote economic development in the region and address numerous challenges such as ecological and environmental issues, as well as those caused by resource extraction and industrial activity.
Mr. Ambakederimo said the Commission was expected to formulate and execute people-centered development policies and transformative projects in key sectors: health, agriculture, education, transportation, industrialization, social housing, water and sanitation, and most importantly, the provision of electricity and communication infrastructure.
The South South Development Commission was signed into law in March 2025 by President Bola Tinubu after the passage of the Bill in October 2024 by the NASS. Continued withholding of funds will be counterproductive in the long run.
