Jan. 25, 2023

A bill seeking the establishment of Project Development Agency (PDA) has scaled second reading in the Senate.

This followed the presentation of the lead debate on the general principles of the bill by the sponsor Sen. Frank Ibezim (APC-Imo) during plenary on Wednesday.

The bill which was read for the first time on Wednesday, Jan. 18, is entitled “A Bill for an Act to establish the Project Development Agency”.

Leading the debate, Ibezim, said that the bill sought to give legal backing to the already existing agency with over 40 years of existence.

“The lack of legal backing has been a major setback of having viable industrial research and growing economy in Nigeria.”

He also said that the bill when enacted into law would have the mandate to among others, conduct research in engineering, machinery and equipment development.

Supporting the bill, Sen. Suleiman Abdu-Kwari (APC-Kaduna) said that the bill was apt adding that all the postulations in the bill were very timely.

The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, thereafter referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Science and Technology for further legislative action to report back in four weeks.(NAN)