House Inaugurates Committee to Drive Grassroots Development, Tackle Poverty
By Exponent News Akure May 11, 2025
In a significant move to strengthen community-focused governance and combat multidimensional poverty, the House of Representatives has inaugurated the Committee on Community and Social Development/NG-CARES, reinforcing its resolve to drive inclusive and equitable development across Nigeria.
The inauguration, which took place at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, was presided over by the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, PhD, GCON, represented by the Deputy Chief Whip, Rep. Ibrahim Ayokunle Isiaka.
Chaired by Rep. Abubakar Yahaya Kusada (APC, Katsina), the newly constituted committee is tasked with overseeing policies and programmes that directly impact rural and peri-urban communities—areas that collectively house nearly half of the country’s population.
Addressing stakeholders and legislators at the event, Speaker Abbas stressed the strategic role of community-based interventions in achieving national cohesion and sustainable development. “Community and social development occupy a foundational place in the architecture of national advancement. They serve as primary conduits to actualise inclusive growth, distributive equity, and societal cohesion,” he stated.
Committee Chairman Rep. Kusada described the inauguration as a “declaration of intent” and pledged an action-oriented oversight approach. “This committee will not merely monitor. It will actively engage… and ensure our oversight translates into real, measurable outcomes,” he affirmed.
The committee will provide oversight of key programmes such as the Community and Social Development Agency (CSDA) and the World Bank-supported NG-CARES initiative, both of which have delivered infrastructure,
