President Bola Tinubu has transmitted the 2025 statutory project proposal of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to the House of Representatives for consideration and passage.
The proposal was conveyed in a letter read at Thursday’s plenary by the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, who presided over the plenary.
In the letter, the president said the submission was made in line with the provisions of Section 121 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which empowers the National Assembly to consider and approve statutory budgets of federal agencies.
By law, the NDDC is funded primarily through statutory contributions from the federal government, oil and gas-producing companies, and other designated revenue sources. Because these inflows are tied to specific statutory obligations rather than annual budgetary ceilings, the commission’s budget is usually presented to the National Assembly as a standalone proposal for scrutiny and passage.
According to the letter, the Minister of Niger Delta Development prepared the 2025 statutory project proposal of the NDDC and forwarded it to the House for legislative consideration. The president explained that the proposal was developed based on the commission’s revenue and expenditure forecasts.
“In line with the provisions of Section 121 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Honourable Minister of Niger Delta Development has prepared a 2025 statutory project proposal of the NDDC, which is herewith forwarded for consideration and passage by the House of Representatives,” it read.
He noted that the proposed NDDC budget was aligned with the federal government’s fiscal and developmental policies, as well as the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda. The letter added that the proposal also took into account the 2024–2026 Economic Recovery Group Plan and key assumptions underpinning the 2025 Appropriation Act of the federal government.
President Tinubu further informed lawmakers that the NDDC’s proposed spending priorities for 2025 focus on sectors deemed critical to the economic recovery and social development of the Niger Delta region. These include youth empowerment, energy and power supply, education, industrial and enterprise development, health, security and increased productivity in agriculture.
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According to the president, the emphasis on these areas aims to lift a significant number of citizens out of poverty and address long-standing developmental challenges in the oil-producing region.
However, the letter did not specify the total amount proposed for the commission’s 2025 statutory projects.
After reading the letter, Mr Kalu referred the president’s request to the House Committee on NDDC for further legislative action. The committee is expected to scrutinise the proposal, engage relevant stakeholders, and report back to the House for consideration and possible passage.
