SWDC, DAWN Commission Seal Partnership to Boost Regional Development
SWDC, DAWN Commission Seal Partnership to Boost Regional Development
The Southwest Development Commission (SWDC) has entered into a strategic partnership with the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission to strengthen coordinated development efforts across the Southwest. The collaboration was formalized on Thursday when the SWDC executive management team paid a courtesy visit to the DAWN Commission’s headquarters at Cocoa House, Ibadan.
SWDC’s team was led by the Managing Director/CEO, Dr. Charles Akinola. Other members of the team are Rt. Hon. Adefunmilayo Tejuoso (Executive Director, Corporate Services), Hon. Tele Ogunjobi (ED Finance), and Alhaji Fatai Ibikunle (ED Commerce & Environmental Development). The visit marks the official commencement of symbiotic institutional collaboration between the two commissions.
Under this arrangement, SWDC will leverage DAWN Commission’s 12 years of operational experience, established frameworks, proven methodologies, and convening power in regional integration and development. The approach is designed to accelerate SWDC’s startup of full operations while avoiding the typical challenges associated with new institutional setup.
“This partnership represents a pragmatic approach to regional development,” said Dr. Akinola. “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,” he added.
The partnership will focus initially on priority sectors including agriculture modernization, railway infrastructure, human and social capital development, industrialization, as well as technology and innovation, with both institutions committed to eliminating duplication of efforts and optimizing resource deployment for maximum regional impact.
DAWN’s Director General, Dr. Seye Oyeleye, welcomed the collaboration, noting that it exemplifies the spirit of cooperation necessary for meaningful regional transformation. He said: “Our 12 years of experience working across Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, and Ekiti states have taught us valuable lessons. We are pleased to share this knowledge with SWDC to ensure the Southwest region benefits from coordinated and efficient development interventions.”
Both institutions expressed profound gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his strategic leadership in integrating regional development as a critical pillar of national development. They said the establishment of development commissions across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones reflects the president’s commitment to addressing regional disparities and unlocking the full potential of every part of the country.
Akinola and Oyeleye also commended the Southwest Governors’ Forum, under the chairmanship of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, for its unwavering commitment to prioritizing regional development and fostering an enabling environment for institutional collaboration and shared prosperity across the Southwest.
This collaboration signals a new era of institutional synergy in Southwest Nigeria’s development landscape, with both organizations committed to delivering tangible results for the region’s estimated 40 million residents.