Tinubu sends NDDC 2026 budget proposal to House of Reps for approval
President Bola Tinubu has written to the House of Representatives seeking its consideration and passage of the Niger Delta Development Commission's statutory budget for 2026.
A letter dated August 20, 2026 and addressed to Speaker Tajudeen Abbas carried the proposed spending plan to the lower chamber, where lawmakers will now examine it.
According to the President, the Minister of Niger Delta Development put the proposal together as required by Section 121 of the Constitution.
He quoted the constitutional basis in the letter, saying: "In line with the provisions of Section 121 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Honourable Minister of Niger Delta Development has prepared the 2026 Statutory Budget Proposal of the NDDC, which is herewith forwarded for consideration and passage by the House of Representatives."
Tinubu said the plan rests on the commission's anticipated income and spending, and that it fits with the Federal Government's fiscal and development direction, among them the Renewed Hope Agenda.
The 2024–2026 Economic Recovery Growth Plan, the President added, was also taken into account, along with the assumptions that underpin the Federal Government's 2026 Appropriation Act.
Youth empowerment, energy and power supply, education, industrial and enterprise development, health, security and higher agricultural productivity were named by Tinubu as the areas the commission is giving priority, with the aim of pulling many citizens out of poverty.
"The House of Representatives is invited to note that the NDDC is prioritising improvement in Youth Empowerment, Energy and Power Supply, Education, Industrial and Enterprise Development, Health, Security and increased productivity in Agriculture in order to lift a significant number of our citizens out of poverty," he stated.
Those priority areas cut across physical infrastructure and human capital development, which the President said matches the NDDC's mandate to back development in the Niger Delta's oil-producing communities.
The commission draws its powers from the Niger Delta Development Commission (Establishment, etc.) Act, which charges it with designing and carrying out projects and programmes that respond to the region's development needs.
Roads built and rehabilitated, education, healthcare, water schemes, skills acquisition, agriculture and other community development efforts have featured among its past interventions.
The weight given to youth empowerment and enterprise development in the 2026 proposal reflects the region's sizable young population and continuing worries about joblessness, skills training and access to livelihoods that can be sustained.
In the same way, the attention paid to power supply, agriculture and infrastructure is expected to boost economic activity and widen access to basic services for communities in the region.
Tinubu asked the House to deal with the proposal without delay, closing his letter with: "While I look forward to the timely passage of the 2026 Statutory Budget Proposal of the NDDC by the House of Representatives, please accept, Rt Honourable Speaker, the assurances of my highest regards."
Legislative scrutiny, including examination by the House committees with jurisdiction over the matter, now lies ahead of the proposal before it can move any further toward passage.
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