ABUJA — The Senate has approved a total estimate of ₦140 billion for the 2026 financial year of the North-Central Development Commission (NCDC), directing the agency to prioritise agriculture and security in the implementation of its budget, even as lawmakers raised concerns over meagre fund releases to the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on NCDC, Senator Titus Zam, issued the directive after the commission’s management appeared before the committee to defend its 2026 budget proposals. Lawmakers went into a closed-door session at the commencement of the exercise to deliberate on the financial estimates before reconvening.
Addressing journalists afterwards, Zam said the committee examined all items in the proposal and found them relevant to the developmental needs of the North-Central region.
He, however, stressed that expenditures must align strictly with the commission’s statutory mandate.
“As a committee overseeing this commission, we have requested them to prioritise their spending in line with their mandate so that the people of the North-Central region will benefit fully and get value for allocated resources,” he said.
He identified agriculture, security, health, education, public infrastructure and other essential social services as key priority areas.
Noting that the North-Central zone is predominantly agrarian, Zam said agriculture must take centre stage in the commission’s programmes, adding that the sector had been adequately reflected in the 2026 budget framework.
The senator also disclosed that the commission was exploring collaboration with security experts and stakeholders across the region to complement the efforts of security agencies.
Zam, however, expressed dissatisfaction with the implementation of the capital component of the commission’s 2025 budget, attributing the shortfall to broader national budget execution challenges. Despite the concerns, the committee resolved to approve the ₦140 billion estimate for appropriation, describing it as necessary to advance development across the region in the coming financial year.
Meanwhile, during a separate budget defence session before the Senate Committee on Women Affairs, lawmakers questioned the Federal Government’s pattern of poor fund releases to the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, as the Minister, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, sought an upward review of the ministry’s proposed ₦134.2 billion budget for 2026.
The minister urged senators to approve increased domestic allocations to strengthen the ministry’s capacity to deliver programmes addressing the social, economic and developmental challenges confronting women nationwide.
She said the proposed increase reflected the ministry’s expanding responsibilities and current policy direction.
However, Chairperson of the committee, Senator Ireti Kingibe, said while the Senate was open to considering a higher allocation, the persistent problem of inadequate disbursement of approved funds by the executive must first be addressed.
Kingibe described the figures presented by the minister as disturbing, stressing that improved implementation of approved budgets should precede any upward adjustment.
In her presentation, Sulaiman-Ibrahim disclosed that of the ₦89.8 billion approved for capital expenditure in 2025, only ₦394 million was released in December, and the funds were not utilised.
She added that overhead releases were similarly low, with just ₦471 million disbursed out of the ₦2.8 billion appropriated.
For 2026, the ministry is proposing ₦134.2 billion, comprising ₦2.1 billion for personnel costs, ₦131.2 billion for capital projects and ₦810.9 million for overhead expenditure.
