N1.75trn NDDC budget must deliver real impact for Niger Delta people – Ibori-Suenu

The House of Representatives Committee on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has insisted that the Commission’s proposed N1.75 trillion 2025 budget 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 NDDC’s budget defence session at the National Assembly, warning that lawmakers would not treat the 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 2025 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.

While commending the Commission’s ongoing reform efforts, the Committee Chair noted that legislative support would be tied strictly to performance and verifiable results on the ground.

“The people of the Niger Delta deserve projects they can see, use, and benefit from,” she said, pledging sustained legislative 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 N1.75 trillion 2025 budget proposal, themed *“Budget of Consolidation.”* He described 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, resulting in a nine per cent reduction from the 2024 budget.

According to him, personnel costs were estimated at N47.5 billion, overheads at N96.4 billion, while capital expenditure remains the core focus of the proposal.

The Managing Director also disclosed that the Commission had abandoned line-item budgeting in favour of sectoral allocations, a move aimed at reducing project delays and improving 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 N1.911 trillion.

The session ended with assurances from both lawmakers and the Commission’s management to deepen collaboration towards delivering sustainable development and inclusive growth across the Niger Delta region.