Senate Urges NCDC to Prioritise Agriculture, Security in 2026 Budget Implementation

The Nigerian Senate has called on the management of the North-Central Development Commission (NCDC) to prioritise investments in agriculture and security as it implements its 2026 budget.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on NCDC, Titus Zam, made the call when the commission’s management appeared before the committee to defend its 2026 budget estimates.

Speaking after the session, Zam said the committee had reviewed all items in the estimates and found them relevant to the needs of the North-Central region.

“We have considered all the items on the estimates and found them very relevant and useful for the north-central region,” he said.

“As a committee overseeing this commission, we have requested them to prioritise their expenditures in line with their mandate so that people of the north-central region will benefit from their services and have value for resources that are allocated to them.”

He stressed that the commission’s development mandate must be sector-driven and not operate in isolation, noting that it should address key areas of the economy.

Zam listed priority sectors to include agriculture, security, health, education, public infrastructure, and other essential social services required by residents of the region.

“You know that north central is mostly agricultural and so agriculture must take pride of place, and it has been embedded in their budget,” he said.

He added that the commission was also considering collaboration with security experts and other stakeholders in the region to support security agencies in carrying out their responsibilities.

However, the lawmaker expressed dissatisfaction with the implementation of the capital component of the commission’s 2025 budget, though he acknowledged that implementation challenges affected the national budget generally during the period.

According to him, the committee reviewed the commission’s total estimate of ₦140 billion for the 2026 financial year and approved the figure for appropriation in the interest of the region.

“This is the resolution of the committee: we hereby approve the total figure of ₦140 billion for the 2026 financial year for the commission,” he said.