The Nigerian Senate has urged the management of the North-Central Development Commission (NCDC) to prioritise agriculture and security spending in the implementation of its 2026 budget.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on NCDC, Titus Zam, gave the directive when the commission’s management appeared before the committee to defend its 2026 budget estimates.
The committee went into a closed session at the start of the exercise to deliberate on the commission’s financial proposals before reconvening.
Addressing journalists afterward, Zam said lawmakers examined all items in the estimates and found them relevant to the developmental needs of the North-Central region.
“We have considered all the items on the estimates and found them very relevant and useful for the north-central region,” he said.
“As a committee overseeing this commission, we have requested them to prioritise their expenditures in line with their mandate so that people of the north-central region will benefit from their services and have value for resources that are allocated to them.”
He noted that the commission’s statutory development responsibilities must be tied to critical sectors of the economy, not implemented in isolation.
The senator identified priority areas to include agriculture, security, health, education, public infrastructure, and other essential social services needed by residents of the region.
“You know that north central is mostly agricultural and so agriculture must take pride of place and it has been embedded in their budget,” he said.
Zam added that the commission was also exploring collaboration with security experts and stakeholders across the North-Central zone to support security agencies in delivering on their mandate.
He, however, expressed dissatisfaction with the implementation of the capital component of the commission’s 2025 budget, noting that the challenge reflected broader national budget execution constraints experienced during the year.
The committee, he said, considered and approved the commission’s total estimate of ₦140 billion for the 2026 financial year for appropriation toward regional development.
“This is the resolution of the committee, we hereby approve the total figure of ₦140 billion for the 2026 financial year for the commission,” Zam stated.
