Senate committee lauds NDDC’s proposed N1.75trn ‘Budget of consolidation’

By Austin Asadu

The management of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) led by its Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku has proposed a N1.75 trillion ‘budget of consolidation’ during a budget defense session with the Senate Committee on NDDC chaired by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja.
According to Dr Ogbuku, the budget of consolidation reflected a nine per cent reduction from the 2024 figure which was informed by the commission’s deliberate no-borrowing policy.
Also the NDDC’s revenue base has increased appreciably as the Managing Director disclosed that as of October 31, 2025, the commission’s actual revenue stood at N1.985 trillion, surpassing the projected N1.911 trillion recorded between April 2024 and September 2025.
Dr Sam Ogbuku explained that it represented a performance level of 104 per cent and attributed the improved revenue outcome largely to the extension of the 2024 budget implementation to December 31.
The NDDC management has also embarked on specific policy objectives which were lauded by the Senate Committee including the new board’s initiative to adopt a stronger governance and transparency framework with partners like KPMG, emphasizing the need for all funds to be used for their intended purpose.
The committee also backed the NDDC’s stated shift in strategy from “transaction to transformation,” which involves leveraging Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) and sourcing private capital to fund big-ticket, legacy projects.
However, there were some sticking points as Senator Ned Nwoko representing Delta North Senatorial District raised concerning a critical road project in Delta State, traversing Oko, Abala, Utchi, Okpai, Aboh, and Asaba-Ase to Patani, that had not started despite being appropriated in a past budget and he demanded drastic action.
According to Senator Nwoko: ‘I am referring to the road project traversing Oko, Abala, Utchi, Okpai, Aboh, and Asaba-Ase, down to Patani. This project was clearly captured in the last budget, yet to date, no tangible progress has been recorded,” he said
Senator Nwoko also emphasised the strategic and humanitarian importance of the project, noting that it was conceived not merely as a transport corridor but as a flood-control intervention for vulnerable communities.
Also the Committee had some key nuggets of advice for the NDDC management like the completion of ongoing projects with the committee stressing the importance of completing thousands of inherited projects worth billions of naira and pushing for existing projects captured in previous budgets to be brought to fruition.
Dr Sam Ogbuku was also tasked to allocate more projects that have a direct impact on the rural areas of the region, such as roads and bridges in order to link communities and boost local economies.
Furthermore, the NDDC was urged by the Senate Committee to collaborate more closely with state governors and the House Committee on NDDC in order to avoid project duplication and ensure effective implementation of the Niger Delta Regional Development Master Plan while
vowing to provide the necessary legislative support in order for the Commission to succeed in all its projects, policies and programs.
A one-minute silence was observed in honour of a former Chairman of the Senate NDDC Committee, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi who was laid to rest some time ago.