Senate confirms Zainab Marwa for NDDC board, fills North-East vacancy

By Adebola Isimijola, Lagos

The Senate on Wednesday confirmed the appointment of Dr. Zainab Marwa as a member of the Governing Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), filling the vacancy for the North-East geopolitical zone.

The confirmation followed the adoption of the report of the Senate Committee on the NDDC during plenary after the committee screened the nominee and recommended her for confirmation.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had in June transmitted Marwa’s name to the Senate to replace Abdulrazak Namdas, who resigned from the NDDC board following his decision to contest the Adamawa State governorship election.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on the NDDC, Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, while presenting the committee’s report, said the nominee possessed the academic qualifications, professional competence and experience required for the position and that no petition was received against her nomination.

The Senate subsequently adopted the committee’s recommendations and confirmed Marwa’s appointment through a voice vote presided over by the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio.

Although the NDDC’s core mandate is to drive the development of the oil-producing Niger Delta, its governing board includes representatives from non-oil-producing geopolitical zones, including the North-East, to promote national inclusion and strengthen oversight in line with the provisions of the NDDC Establishment Act.

Marwa is expected to join other members of the governing board in providing policy direction and oversight for the commission as it implements programmes aimed at improving infrastructure, economic development and the living conditions of communities across the Niger Delta.