Reps Call For NDDC Budget To Prioritize Niger Delta Development Goals

According to reports, the House of Representatives Committee on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has emphasized that the commission’s 2025 budget must directly reflect the aspirations and developmental needs of the Niger Delta people. The committee noted that the budget should bridge long-standing gaps, promote sustainable growth, and ensure no community is left behind.

Speaking during the budget defence, Committee Chairman Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu described the NDDC budget as a critical instrument for delivering meaningful development to the region. He stated that the budget represents hope, opportunity, and the promise of an improved quality of life for Niger Delta communities.

Ibori-Suenu stressed the committee’s role in rigorously reviewing the budget to ensure every allocation translates into tangible outcomes in infrastructure, human capacity development, youth empowerment, and economic inclusion. “The 2025 NDDC budget will not be business as usual,” he said, noting that every line item must be purposeful, people-centered, and aligned with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

The committee reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the NDDC while demanding accountability, transparency, and value for money in the execution of all projects and programmes.

NDDC Managing Director Samuel Ogbuku described the commission’s approach as moving from transactional to transformational. He highlighted the commission’s focus on youth training, entrepreneurial support, and infrastructure development. Ogbuku added that the 2025 budget, themed “Budget of Consolidation,” aims to consolidate gains and provide a new dawn of progress for the region.

Reviewing the 2024 budget, Ogbuku said the NDDC projected revenue of N1.911 trillion but achieved N1.945 trillion by October 2025, exceeding targets due to an extension of the fiscal year. He explained that the 2025 budget, proposed at N1.75 trillion, represents a 9% decrease from 2024 due to a no-borrowing policy. Key fiscal strategies include a focus on sectoral funding allocation, overhead cost management, and adoption of Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) to ensure sustainable development.

The 2025 personnel budget is estimated at N47.5 billion, while overhead costs are projected at N96.4 billion. The new framework ties approvals to measurable outcomes, moving away from the previous line-item budgeting system to a performance-driven, sectoral allocation model.