National Assembly Leaders To Meet Tinubu Over Funding For Information Ministry, Agencies

The National Assembly has resolved to meet President Bola Tinubu over what it described as inadequate funding of the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation and its media agencies, following concerns raised over the ministry’s 2025 budget performance.

The decision was taken on Tuesday by the joint committee on Information and National Orientation after a presentation by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, on the ministry’s 2025 budget implementation.

In his report, the minister disclosed that out of the N2.49 billion capital allocation for 2025, only N205 million had been released, adding that even the amount released had not been fully cash-backed.

Apparently displeased with the development, the joint committee went into a closed-door session which lasted about an hour and resolved to make a special appeal to the President through the leadership of the National Assembly for improved funding in the 2026 fiscal year.

The agencies under the ministry include the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), and Voice of Nigeria (VON).

Addressing journalists after the executive session, Chairman of the House Committee on Information, National Orientation, Ethics and Values, Hon. Olushola Fatoba, said a review of the 2026 budget proposal revealed that allocations for personnel and overhead costs remained the same as in 2025, while about 70 per cent of the capital component was merely a rollover from the previous year.

“At the executive session, when we went through the 2026 budget proposal for the ministry and its agencies, we discovered that the sums earmarked for personnel and overhead costs in 2025 were the same proposed for 2026, while about 70 per cent of the capital component was a rollover from 2025,” he said.

“As a joint committee, we unanimously agreed that the budget cannot be sufficient to effectively run the ministry and its agencies. We have resolved to meet the leadership of the National Assembly on the meagre budgetary proposal and plan to reach out to Mr President to ensure that urgent steps are taken to improve funding in 2026, which is a very critical year.”

Earlier, the minister told the committee that since assuming office in 2023, the ministry had focused on rebuilding public trust between Nigerians and public office holders.

“When we started in 2023, there was a breakdown of trust between Nigerians and public officials, whether elected or appointed. Our duty was to restore that trust through honest and transparent public communication,” Idris said.

He added that the ministry had made significant progress in ensuring that government communication is truthful and in the best interest of Nigerians, but stressed that adequate funding remained essential for the ministry and its agencies to effectively enlighten citizens on government policies and programmes.