President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki said this at the public hearing of Joint Committee on Poverty Alleviation and Social welfare, and Committee on National Planning and Economic Affairs on Tuesday in Abuja.
The bill which was sponsored by Sen. Ibrahim Gobir (APC-Sokoto East) had passed second reading on April 21.
The commission when established would serve as a statutory body to coordinate and monitor all poverty activities in Nigeria.
It would also maintain an outreach with international donour organisations as well as quarterly inform Nigerians of the percentage of poverty reduction or increase as the case may be.
Saraki, who was represented by the Chief Whip, Olusola Adeyeye said available statistics had shown that the rate of poverty in the country was on the increase.
Saraki said the commission would go a long way in holistically confronting poverty which was affecting a lot Nigerians.
He pledged Senate’s readiness to pass the bill in order to bring succour to Nigerians, particularly the impoverished in the society.
The Senate president urged participants at the public hearing to make robust contributions that would correct any flaws that may be found in the bill.
He also urged the Joint committee to return the report to the full plenary in good time for consideration and subsequent passage.
In his contributions, the Chairman Senate Committee on National Planning and Economic Affairs, Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso said that years after the establishment of different poverty eradication programmes, many Nigerians were still poor.
He said the failure of the programmes were due to lack of effective laws, and lack of direct and modified execution of the blueprint contained in most of the poverty eradication policies and programmes.