The House of Representatives has pledged to subject the proposed N1.75tn 2025 budget of the Niger Delta Development Commission to thorough scrutiny to ensure that development projects captured in the proposal are delivered for the benefit of communities in the oil-producing states.
The Chairman of the House Committee on NDDC, Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu, gave the assurance on Tuesday during the Commission’s budget defence session at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja, stressing the need for strict budget discipline.
The Delta lawmaker said every line item in the 2025 budget must be purposeful, people-centred and aligned with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda, noting that the NDDC budget remains the primary vehicle for delivering federal development interventions in the Niger Delta.
“The importance of the NDDC budget cannot be over-emphasised. For the people of the Niger Delta, this budget represents hope, opportunity, and the promise of a better quality of life.
“The 2025 NDDC budget must clearly address longstanding developmental gaps, promote sustainable growth, and ensure that no community is left behind,” she said.
Earlier, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NDDC, Samuel Ogbuku, presented the Commission’s 2025 budget estimates, describing it as a “Budget of consolidation” aimed at strengthening the foundation for sustainable economic growth in the Niger Delta.
Ogbuku expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu, the Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh, and the National Assembly for the opportunity to serve, saying the current management had deliberately shifted the Commission’s vision from a transactional to a transformational development approach.
According to him, interventions under the new approach span youth training, entrepreneurship support, infrastructure development and economic empowerment.
Providing an overview of the 2024 budget performance, Ogbuku disclosed that an aggregate revenue of N1.91tn was projected to fund the 2024 “Budget of Renewed Hope,” comprising N76.77bn for overhead costs and N1.82tn for capital expenditure.
“As of October 31, 2024, the Commission’s actual revenue stood at N0.95tn, exceeding the projected target, largely due to the extension of the 2024 budget implementation period to December 31, 2025,” he explained.
For 2025, he said the Commission is proposing a total budget of N1.75tn, representing a nine per cent reduction from the 2024 figure, driven by a non-borrowing fiscal approach.
He disclosed that personnel costs for 2025 are estimated at N47.5bn, while overhead costs are projected at N96.4bn, adding that management would sustain reforms aimed at cost efficiency and performance-based spending.
On capital expenditure, Ogbuku said the Commission would prioritise critical infrastructure projects and adopt Public-Private Partnership models to drive sustainable development across the region.
“We have moved away from line-item budgeting to sectoral allocation of funds to encourage efficiency, project continuity, and contractor confidence,” Ogbuku said, noting that only activities tied to measurable programmes would receive approval.
He assured lawmakers of the Commission’s commitment to deepening collaboration with the National Assembly to deliver inclusive growth and improve the welfare of Niger Delta communities.
The renewed resolve by lawmakers comes against the backdrop of years of weak budget performance by the NDDC, characterised by poor implementation, abandoned projects and allegations of mismanagement.
Several past budgets of the Commission recorded low execution rates, while numerous projects across the Niger Delta remain incomplete despite repeated allocations.
Legislative investigations, including previous National Assembly probes, have highlighted gaps between budgetary provisions and actual project delivery, fuelling public distrust and calls for stricter oversight. Lawmakers have consistently insisted that improved scrutiny of the Commission’s annual budgets is key to restoring confidence and ensuring that development funds translate into tangible benefits for Niger Delta communities.