The ₦140 billion 2025 budget approved for the North Central Development Commission (NCDC), now three months from the end of the present fiscal year, has triggered public outrage after it was revealed that ₦20.2 billion was allocated for cars, travels and phone calls .
Another ₦2,078,553,684 was earmarked for refreshments and meals for committees.
Analysts have criticised the excessive allocation of funds to non-essential items and questioned why such allocations should occur barely three months before the end of the fiscal year.
The approval followed a budget defence during which the managing director of the NCDC, Mr Tsenyil Yiltsen, appeared before the committee chaired by Senator Titus Zam.
“After a careful review of the issues contained in the budget and the eloquent presentation by the MD and his team, the committee has approved the budget of ₦140 billion as presented by the commission,” Senator Zam announced.
According to Mr Yiltsen, the budget was structured as follows: ₦100 billion for capital expenditure, covering development projects across the six North Central states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and ₦40 billion was earmarked for recurrent expenditure, including personnel salaries, logistics, overheads, and administrative costs.
The budget details indicated the following controversial allocations within the ₦40 billion recurrent portion: “₦10 billion for the purchase of official vehicles, ₦9 billion for domestic and international travel, ₦1.2 billion for telephone and internet communication.”
Additional allocations include: ₦5 billion for the purchase of furniture and fittings; ₦7 billion for health and medical equipment; ₦10 billion for security equipment; ₦5 billion for water facilities; ₦20 billion for agricultural infrastructure; ₦9 billion for the construction of skills acquisition centres; ₦3 billion for the rehabilitation of residential buildings; and ₦15 billion for public schools’ rehabilitation.
These figures have sparked widespread anger among civil society groups and citizens, who argue that the budget priorities are misaligned with the region’s pressing humanitarian and developmental needs.
Mr Yiltsen clarified that the capital projects would be spread across eight thematic areas — including security, agriculture, education, healthcare, mining, road construction, and environmental protection — and that the commission would ensure equity in project distribution across Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau, Kwara, and the FCT.
He also noted that part of the recurrent budget would be used to pay the salaries of 200 proposed staff members, pending approval from the Office of the Head of Civil Service.
“We will conduct proper needs assessments in all the states and ensure fairness in the distribution of projects across the zone,” Yiltsen said.
While the figures have attracted public criticism, some stakeholders believe the budget is justifiable, or even insufficient, given the scale of devastation in the region.
In a phone interview, national coordinator of the North Central Elders Council, Hon. Audu Sule, defended the ₦140 billion approval as “a necessary first step” to address the destruction caused by insecurity and natural disasters in the region.
“The budget is not outrageous when you consider the number of houses, lives, and livelihoods that have been destroyed,” he said.
“From Benue to Kogi to Niger, entire villages have been wiped out. Floods and bandit attacks have displaced thousands.”
Sule, a former lawmaker from Agatu, Benue State, said many displaced persons still lived in makeshift camps years after attacks. He added that rebuilding communities would require long-term investment far beyond the approved figures.
On the contentious operational costs, Sule explained: “The cars being budgeted are not luxury saloons. These rugged vehicles, like Hiluxes, are meant to reach remote and underserved areas. You can’t use a Camry to access many of the terrains we’re discussing.”
He compared the NCDC’s allocation to that of better-funded regional commissions like the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the North East Development Commission (NEDC), arguing that the North Central region deserves similar fiscal commitment from the federal government.
LEADERSHIP Friday reports that the establishment of the North Central Development Commission came after years of advocacy and neglect. Unlike other zones with long-established regional commissions, the North Central had been without a coordinated development mechanism despite suffering persistent violence from armed herdsmen, banditry, farmer-herder conflicts, and flash floods.
In previous federal budgets, the zone was notably excluded from regional intervention allocations, which led to criticism from lawmakers, traditional leaders, and civil society organisations.
In March 2024, public outrage followed the NCDC’s exclusion from a ₦2.4 trillion budget allocation shared among other regional commissions. This prompted renewed pressure on the National Assembly and the executive to prioritise the region.
While the Senate Committee has approved the ₦140 billion budget, final endorsement will come during the full appropriation debates in the National Assembly. Public scrutiny of the commission’s expenditures is expected to intensify, especially around non-capital expenses.
Civil society organisations have called for greater transparency in project selection and execution, independent audit mechanisms for recurrent expenses, and community involvement in identifying priority needs.
Meanwhile, the North Central Elders Council urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure that the commission receives sufficient funding in future budgets and that development partners and donor agencies are encouraged to complement federal efforts.
“There is no region with the burden North Central carries. We have seven states, including the FCT. If this Commission is going to succeed, it must be backed with more funding and strict accountability,” Sule added.
₦140bn Budget Misaligned With Regional Needs – CISLAC
For his part, senior programme officer at the Centre for Social and Legislative Advocacy and Control (CISLAC), Gimba Hassan, described the budget as “deeply misaligned” with the region’s pressing humanitarian needs
“The North Central needs schools, roads, irrigation, and resettlement plans — not ₦10 billion for SUVs or ₦9 billion junkets,” Hassan said.
“The intent behind the Commission may be right, but the priorities are wrong. Citizens must see a full, itemised budget, or confidence will collapse.”
Hassan warned that public outrage was not about the headline figure of ₦140 billion but about transparency, accountability, and value for money, especially given ongoing education, agriculture, and security crises.
He also called on the Senate to freeze all recurrent spending until independent needs assessments and project plans are published.
Commission Must Account for Every Penny Released – Ex-ACF Scribe
The former secretary general of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Dr Anthony Sani, said the commission was responsible for using the funds for their intended purpose.
The elder statesman said he was not against such approvals, adding that they are coming in the last quarter, which is material.
Stating that the zone has many development challenges to address, he declared that he was against monies meant for development being diverted into private pockets
“What matters is the judicious use of such approvals, be it loan or budget releases. The people must ensure that the leaders are accountable by ensuring funds are appropriately deployed,” he stated.
In the same vein, Abdulkarim Kwarra, the former majority leader of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly and All Progressives Congress in the state, urged the commission to work with the zone’s governors to identify the peculiar challenges of each benefiting state and deploy the fund appropriately.
He said looking at what other zonal commissions had benefited so far, the amount coming in the last quarter should not be considered huge, especially given the development challenges the zone has had to endure over time.
“If you share that amount for each state in the zone, it amounts to nothing. But the commission must hit the ground running by deploying it appropriately,” he suggested.
Money Must Be Judiciously Used – Middle Belt
The Middle Belt Forum (MBF) has welcomed the Senate’s approval of ₦140 billion for the North Central Development Commission. However, it insisted that if the money is released, it must be used judiciously.
MBF’s president, Dr Bitrus Pogu, spoke to our correspondent in Jos on the phone about the approval.
According to him, MBF fought for the establishment of the NCDC.
He further stressed that for equity, fairness, and justice, it is now up to the people in charge of the commission’s leadership to use the resources provided to benefit the region’s people so that development will come to the people.
Pogu further urged those in charge of the commission’s affairs not to be found wanting when compared to the performances of other development commissions in the country.
“We are praying that the government’s approved money be released so that projects and programmes that will benefit the people will be executed for greater development.”
MBF further said that each state within North Central has particular needs, adding that they should look passionately at where the government’s presence is lacking and ensure holistic development.
Dr Pogu also lamented that Nigeria is a consumer nation and urged the commission to invest resources in productive ventures that will endure.
The managing director of NCDC, Dr Cyril Tsenyil, did not pick up his calls to comment on the Senate’s approval of ₦140 billion and did not respond to our correspondent’s inquiry at press time.
