The House of Representatives Committee on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has insisted that the proposed N1.75tn 2025 budget of the Commission must translate into tangible development outcomes for communities across the Niger Delta.
Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu, gave the assurance on Tuesday during the budget defence session held at the National Assembly.
She warned that the lawmakers would not treat the NDDC’s 2025 budget proposal as a routine legislative exercise.
According to her, the budget represents renewed hope and opportunity for millions of people in the oil-producing region and must therefore be people-centred, transparent, and strictly aligned with national development priorities.
“The NDDC budget represents hope, opportunity, and the promise of a better quality of life for our people,” Ibori-Suenu 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 stressed that the House would subject the budget to rigorous scrutiny to ensure it delivers measurable outcomes in critical areas such as infrastructure development, human capacity building, youth empowerment, and economic inclusion.
Ibori-Suenu commended the Commission’s reform efforts but maintained that legislative support would be tied to performance and results on the ground.
“The people of the Niger Delta deserve projects they can see, use, and benefit from,” she said, pledging the Committee’s continued oversight to ensure effective implementation of the budget.
Earlier, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NDDC, Mr. Samuel Ogbuku, presented the Commission’s N1.75tn 2025 budget proposal, themed “Budget of Consolidation,” describing it as a shift from transactional governance to a results-driven and transformational development approach.
Ogbuku explained that the proposed budget reflects the reform agenda of the current management and aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He added that the Commission adopted a no-borrowing strategy, accounting for a nine per cent reduction from the 2024 budget.
The Managing Director disclosed that personnel costs were estimated at N47.5bn, overheads at N96.4bn, while capital expenditure remained the core focus of the proposal.
He also revealed that the Commission had abandoned line-item budgeting in favour of sectoral allocations to reduce project delays and improve efficiency.
Reviewing the Commission’s 2024 performance, Ogbuku noted that the NDDC exceeded its revenue projections, recording N1.945 trillion in actual revenue against a projected N1.911tn.
The session ended with assurances from both the lawmakers and the Commission’s management to deepen collaboration in delivering sustainable development and inclusive growth across the Niger Delta region.
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