Senate Tasks NCDC on Agriculture, Security Focus, Faults 2025 Capital Budget Implementation

Jane Salihu

The Senate has directed the North-Central Development Commission (NCDC) to prioritise investments in agriculture and security in the implementation of its 2026 budget, as lawmakers raised concerns over poor capital budget execution in 2025.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on NCDC, Sen. Titus Zam, issued the directive when the management of the commission appeared before the committee to defend its 2026 budget estimates.

Speaking after the its closed door session, Zam said the committee had examined the estimates and found the budget proposals relevant to the development 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 region will benefit from their services and get value for the resources allocated to them.”

He stressed that the commission’s development mandate must be targeted at critical sectors, including agriculture, security, health, education, infrastructure and other social services.

“The North-Central region is predominantly agrarian, so agriculture must take a pride of place, and it has been embedded in their budget. They are also thinking about working with security experts and other stakeholders in the region to support security agencies in delivering on their mandate,” Zam added.

However, the lawmaker expressed dissatisfaction with the implementation of the capital component of the 2025 budget, describing the performance as below expectations, though he noted that budget implementation challenges were a national issue.

According to him, the committee reviewed the commission’s total budget proposal of ₦140 billion for the 2026 fiscal year and granted approval for the utilisation of the funds, subject to appropriation.

“This is the resolution of the committee. We hereby approve the total figure of ₦140 billion for the 2026 financial year for the commission,” he said.