Group Urges NCDC To Prioritise Security, Agriculture In N140bn Budget

A leading pro-democracy group, Kwara Must Change, has called on the North Central Development Commission (NCDC) to give priority to security and agriculture in the implementation of its recently approved N140 billion budget.

The Senate Committee on the NCDC had on Tuesday approved the commission’s 2025 budget, which covers the six North Central states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Out of the total figure, ₦100 billion was allocated for capital expenditure, including infrastructure and development projects, while ₦40 billion was earmarked for recurrent expenditure such as overheads and the recruitment of 200 staff.

The convener of Kwara Must Change, Abdulrazaq Hamzat, noted that the budget approval came at a time when the North Central region is battling rising insecurity and a devastating agricultural setback, both of which directly affect the survival and prosperity of the people.

He urged the NCDC to focus its immediate interventions on strengthening security and revitalising agriculture in the next three months, describing both sectors as critical to the region’s recovery.

Hamzat stressed that farmers across the North Central must be supported, while security agencies should be empowered to tackle banditry and other threats destabilising the region.

“Focusing on these two priority areas within the next three months would serve as a powerful intervention to help the North Central get back on its feet, while also setting the NCDC on a productive and impactful path from the onset,” he said.