National assembly joint committee tasks Minister of Regional Development on fairness, balance in nationwide project allocation

By Austin Asadu

The National Assembly has tasked the Minister of Regional Development, Hon Abubakar Momoh on ensuring equity, fairness and balance in project allocation and implementation across the nation during a joint committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on Regional Development chaired by Senator Emmanuel lpinsagba on Friday, February 13, 2026.
At the joint session, several lawmakers raised issue over the distribution of projects, budget implementation, and the overall direction of federal regional intervention programmes across the nation.
The federal legislators grilled the Minister and his officials on the ministry’s implementation framework, as they expressed concern over the fairness, transparency, and national spread of projects under its supervision.
The joint committee also reviewed the ministry’s implementation framework stressing that the Ministry of Regional Development must fulfill the expectations of Nigerians by impacting positively on the welfare and wellbeing of citizens cutting across all geopolitical zones of the nation.
In his own remarks, Senator Ipinsagba, stated that the creation of the Ministry is a major governmental effort to address regional imbalances and promote inclusive development across the nation stressing that the credibility of the ministry would be judged by its ability to ensure fairness and equity in project allocation and execution across the country.
Senator lpinsagba cautioned that the National Assembly would not accept any situation where federal development projects are concentrated in certain regions while other regions are abandoned unjustly.
He also urged Hon Momoh to provide a comprehensive breakdown of all executed, ongoing, and proposed projects, including their locations, funding levels, and implementation status, hinging future legislative approvals and funding support on the level of transparency, accountability and due process of the ministry’s programs and projects
One of the Senators present and a former governor of Edo State, Senator Adams Oshiomhole warned that any perception of imbalance and favoritism in the allocation of programs could erode public confidence in the Ministry of Regional Development, stressing that it was created to correct historical injustices, infrastructure gaps and economic disparities nationwide.
Senator Oshiomhole also called on the ministry to submit detailed state by state documentation covering project approvals, funding releases, and completion timelines, stressing that lawmakers must be fully informed to carry out effective oversight and protect national interest at all times.
In response to the Joint Committee’s concerns, the Minister outlined the ministry’s performance index, stating that its programmes were guided by national development priorities and approved budget provisions.
Hon Momoh also revealed that the ministry coordinates the activities of various regional development commissions, including the Niger Delta Development Commission and other regional intervention bodies established to drive infrastructural expansion, economic empowerment, and social development programs nationally.
The Minister said he was aware of the weight of expectations burdening the ministry and assured lawmakers that efforts were ongoing to ensure the effectiveness of monitoring, evaluation, and accountability systems in the ministry. Hon Momoh further stressed the necessity of continued legislative support, stating that effective regional development depends on cooperation between the executive and legislative arms of government.
At the end of the session, the joint committee directed the minister to submit additional documentation to enable a comprehensive review of the ministry’s activities, signposting the National Assembly’s avowed commitment towards ensuring balanced, equitable, transparent and accountable implementation of federal regional development programmes nationwide.