The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has presented a budget estimate of N1.75 trillion for the 2025 fiscal year to the Senate Committee on NDDC, chaired by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, and the House of Representatives Committee on NDDC, chaired by Hon. Ibori-Suenu Erhiatake.
The budget proposal was presented at the National Assembly complex in Abuja on Wednesday, by the Managing Director of the Commission, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, who explained that the 2025 budget is anchored on the theme “Budget of Consolidation.”
In a statement by Seledi Thompson-Wakama, Director, Corporate Affairs, the Commission said the 2025 Budget builds on the gains of the 2024 Budget of Renewed Hope and reflects NDDC’s deliberate shift from transactional to transformational development, in alignment with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
According to the statement, Ogbuku expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for the confidence reposed in the current NDDC Management, as well as the Supervising Minister of Regional Development, Engr. Abubakar Momoh, for his strategic guidance. He also commended the leadership and members of the 10th National Assembly, particularly the Senate and House Committees on NDDC, for their constructive oversight and partnership.
The Managing Director noted that the growing credibility and improved public perception of the Commission were the result of synergy among the NDDC Board and Management, the Ministry of Regional Development, and the National Assembly. He stressed that legislative oversight remained a partnership anchored on accountability, transparency, and measurable impact.
Dr. Ogbuku disclosed that the proposed N1.75 trillion budget represents a nine per cent reduction from the N1.985 trillion proposed and appropriated for the 2024 fiscal year.
He explained that the budget is expected to be funded from multiple sources, including N776.5 billion from the Federal Government; N752.8 billion from oil companies; N109.4 billion as revenue brought forward from 2024; N53.67 billion in recoveries from federal government agencies; and N8.35 billion from internally generated revenue.
A breakdown of the proposal showed that N1.631 trillion was earmarked for project execution across the Niger Delta region, while N223 billion was allocated to internal projects. Personnel cost was put at N47.56 billion, with N49.93 billion set aside for overhead expenditure.
On the performance of the 2024 budget, Ogbuku informed the committees that as of October 31, 2025, the Commission’s actual revenue stood at N1.985 trillion, exceeding the initial target of N1.911 trillion. He attributed the improved revenue performance largely to the extension of the 2024 budget implementation to December 31, 2025.
The Managing Director also revealed that the Commission had abandoned line-item budgeting in favour of sectoral allocations, a move aimed at reducing project delays and improving efficiency.
Following the presentation, the committees held closed-door sessions with NDDC management to review the budget proposal and assess the status of ongoing and completed projects across the Niger Delta.
Briefing journalists afterward, Senate Committee Chairman Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong said the committee would embark on an extensive oversight tour of NDDC projects in the nine Niger Delta states in January 2026 to verify project claims through physical inspection.
Similarly, the House of Representatives Committee on NDDC stressed that the proposed 2025 budget must translate into tangible development outcomes for Niger Delta communities. Committee Chairman Hon. Ibori-Suenu Erhiatake warned that legislative support would be tied strictly to performance, transparency, and verifiable results on the ground, noting that the budget represents renewed hope and opportunity for millions in the oil-producing region.
