The Senate Committee on the North Central Development Commission has directed the agency to prioritise agriculture, security and rural infrastructure in its programmes, after raising concern that the commission’s monthly funding from the federal government falls dramatically short of its approved budget.
Committee Chairman Titus Zam told journalists after a closed door meeting with commission management that the NCDC currently receives N2.9 billion monthly against an approved N140 billion budget, a gap he called grossly inadequate. Every month they are receiving N2.9 billion, and that is just a drop in the ocean, he said, if an agency has a budget of N140 billion and receives N2.9 billion monthly, the total for one year is still far below its budgetary provision. Despite the shortfall, Zam commended President Tinubu and the federal government for beginning releases to the newly established commission at all, expressing optimism funding would improve as the agency becomes fully operational, calling the current arrangement temporary and pledging the committee and commission would work closely to ensure every allocation is used efficiently and transparently in line with the agency’s mandate.
Zam said lawmakers agreed on a framework to deploy the limited funds released so far to projects capable of delivering measurable results before year end, and that the committee would begin immediate oversight, starting with an inspection of the commission’s headquarters before visiting North Central states to assess ongoing and proposed projects. On priorities, he identified agriculture as the region’s greatest comparative advantage, urging the commission to channel substantial resources into agricultural productivity and rural livelihoods given the zone’s vast arable land, favourable rainfall and rich vegetation. Beyond agriculture, he urged support for mining given the region’s abundant mineral resources, and stressed the commission should complement security agencies and state governments in tackling insecurity, one of the biggest obstacles to development in the zone, by investing in initiatives that strengthen security and create room for farming, mining and other productive activity to flourish. He also called for the commission to expand rural infrastructure, roads, bridges and other essentials, noting that outside state capitals and a few urban centres, the North Central zone remains predominantly rural, making that investment essential to achieving its development goals. The committee said it would monitor the commission’s performance through regular oversight visits to give lawmakers first hand insight into project implementation and expects the agency to translate its mandate into tangible projects despite current funding limits.
