Senate Raises Concern Over Funding Releases as Minister Seeks Increase in N134.2bn 2026 Budget

The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Sulaiman‑Ibrahim, has called for an upward review of the N134.2 billion proposed for the ministry in the 2026 fiscal year, stressing that increased funding is necessary to tackle the complex challenges facing women nationwide.

She made the appeal on Monday while defending the ministry’s budget proposal before the Senate Committee on Women Affairs.

According to the minister, enhanced domestic allocations in 2026 would enable the ministry to implement programmes designed to address multifaceted social and economic issues affecting women across the country.

“In line with the plan and need for more domestic allocations in the 2026 fiscal year, upward review of budget estimates for the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development should be done,” she said.

However, responding to the request, the committee chairperson, Ireti Kingibe, said lawmakers were not opposed to increasing the ministry’s allocation but insisted that the persistent problem of poor fund releases must first be resolved by the executive.

She described the pattern of releases reflected in the ministry’s 2025 budget performance as “abysmal,” warning that approving higher allocations would be meaningless if actual disbursements remain inadequate.

Earlier in her presentation, Sulaiman-Ibrahim disclosed that of the N89.8 billion appropriated for capital expenditure in 2025, only N394 million was released in December, funds she said were not utilized. She added that overhead funding also suffered similar constraints, noting that just N471 million was released out of the N2.8 billion approved for that component.

For 2026, the ministry’s proposed N134.2 billion budget breakdown includes N2.1 billion for personnel costs, N131.2 billion for capital projects, and N810.9 million for overhead expenses.