The Senate Committee on North-central Development Commission (NCDC) has approved a budgetary allocation of N140 billion for the commission in the 2025 fiscal year.
The committee chairperson, Titus Zam (APC, Benue), announced the approval on Tuesday after the commission’s Managing Director, Tsenyil Yiltsen, appeared before the panel to defend the budget.
It also comes barely three months before the end of the year.
“After a careful look at the issues contained in the budget and the eloquent presentation by the MD and his team, the committee has approved the budget of N140 billion as presented by the commission,” he said.
The NCDC is one of the regional commissions established under President Bola Tinubu’s administration to accelerate infrastructure development, boost economic activities, and enhance social welfare across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones.
Each of the commissions operates under the legislative oversight of the National Assembly.
The N140 billion allocation is targeted at developing infrastructure in the six North-central states—Kogi, Nasarawa, Benue, Niger, and Kwara, as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
However, the budget will still require final approval when the Senate reconvenes from recess on 7 October, after which the commission will be authorised to commence spending.
In addition to the responsibilities of the regional commissions, federal Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) are also expected to undertake developmental projects across the country, as each has specific budgetary allocations for such initiatives.
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How money would be spent
Mr Yiltsen explained that N100 billion of the allocation is earmarked for capital expenditure, while N40 billion will cover recurrent expenditure, including overhead and personnel costs.
He noted that the commission will focus its capital projects on eight thematic areas: security, agriculture, mining, tackling environmental degradation, education, health, and road construction.
“We have eight thematic areas in terms of infrastructure deployment, which are security, agriculture, mining, environmental degradation, education, health, road construction, etc ”
“We will go out for proper needs assessment in all the states and will be fair in the distribution of these projects in all the six states and FCT,” he added.
On the recurrent side, Mr Yiltsen disclosed that the commission plans to recruit 200 staff members, whose salaries will be drawn from the N40 billion allocation, pending approval from the Office of the Head of Service.
