The Senate Committee on the North Central Development Commission (NCDC) has approved the commission’s N140 billion budget proposal for 2025, with a charge to ensure transparency and prudent use of the funds once passed by the Senate.
Committee Chairman, Senator Titus Zam, announced the approval on Tuesday following the budget defence session led by NCDC Managing Director, Mr. Tsenyil Yiltsen. He explained that the endorsement came after “a careful review of the provisions in the budget and the eloquent presentation by the MD and his team.”
Budget Breakdown
Yiltsen revealed that the federal government allocated N140 billion to the commission for the 2025 fiscal year:
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N100 billion for capital expenditure across the six North Central states and the FCT.
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N40 billion for recurrent costs, including personnel and overheads.
He noted that the capital votes will fund interventions in key sectors such as security, agriculture, mining, environmental management, education, health, and road construction. “We will carry out proper needs assessments in all the states and ensure fairness in project distribution across the zone and the FCT,” Yiltsen assured.
Part of the N40 billion recurrent allocation will also cover salaries for 200 new staff, pending approval by the Office of the Head of Service.
Senate’s Charge to NCDC
The committee commended the commission’s presentation but urged strict prudence in spending, especially with the capital component. It further called on the governments of the six benefiting states and the FCT to provide office accommodation for NCDC branches in their respective jurisdictions.