Reps insist N1.75tn NDDC Budget Must Translate to Tangible Development in Niger Delta

The House of Representatives Committee on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has declared that the Commission’s proposed N1.75 trillion 2025 budget must deliver visible and lasting development across communities in the Niger Delta.

The committee’s position was made clear on Tuesday during the NDDC’s budget defence session at the National Assembly, where the chairman, Hon. Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu, warned that lawmakers would not treat the exercise as a routine legislative formality. She stressed that the scale of the proposed allocation reflects renewed expectations from residents of the oil-producing region.

According to Ibori-Suenu, the budget must be people-centred, transparent, and fully aligned with national development priorities, noting that every allocation should have a clear developmental purpose.

“The NDDC budget represents hope, opportunity, and the promise of a better quality of life for our people,” she said. “Every line item must be purposeful and aligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda. This Committee will insist on accountability, transparency, and value for money.”

She added that the House would subject the proposal to rigorous scrutiny to ensure it delivers measurable outcomes in critical areas such as infrastructure development, human capital growth, youth empowerment, and economic inclusion.

While acknowledging recent reform efforts within the Commission, Ibori-Suenu emphasized that sustained legislative support would depend on concrete results and demonstrable impact at the grassroots.

“The people of the Niger Delta deserve projects they can see, use, and benefit from,” she said, assuring that the committee would maintain strict oversight to guarantee effective implementation of the budget.

Earlier, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NDDC, Mr. Samuel Ogbuku, presented the N1.75 trillion 2025 budget proposal, describing it as a “Budget of Consolidation.”

Ogbuku explained that the proposal signals a shift from transactional governance to a development-driven model focused on results and long-term transformation. He noted that the budget aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and reflects the reform direction of the current NDDC management.

He disclosed that the Commission adopted a no-borrowing policy, leading to a nine per cent reduction from the 2024 budget. Personnel costs are projected at N47.5 billion, overheads at N96.4 billion, while capital expenditure remains the central focus of the spending plan.

The Managing Director further revealed that the NDDC has moved away from line-item budgeting to sector-based allocations, a strategy aimed at reducing bureaucratic delays and improving project delivery.

Reviewing the Commission’s performance in 2024, Ogbuku stated that the NDDC exceeded its revenue target, recording N1.945 trillion in actual revenue against a projected N1.911 trillion.