The Senate Committee on the North Central Development Commission (NCDC) has given its nod to a ₦140 billion budget for the 2025 fiscal year, paving the way for the Commission to begin full operations.
The allocation, announced after a presentation by the pioneer Managing Director/CEO, Dr Cyril Tsenyil, PhD, sets aside ₦100 billion for capital projects and ₦40 billion for recurrent expenditure and overheads.
Describing the approval as “a great privilege” for the fledgling Commission, Dr Tsenyil said the funds will be deployed across eight priority areas, including infrastructure development, security, agriculture and mining, education, healthcare, road construction, resettlement of displaced persons, and environmental rehabilitation.
“We are not channelling the resources into one project or location. Rather, we will conduct proper needs assessments across the six states and the FCT to ensure fairness and equity in project distribution,” he assured.
On staffing, the MD disclosed that the Commission had proposed the recruitment of 200 personnel but noted that the request was still subject to approval by the appropriate authorities.
The Committee Chairman, Senator Titus Zam, commended the management team for what he called a thorough and convincing presentation, adding that the approved budget would strengthen development interventions across the North Central region.
The NCDC, inaugurated only days ago, is tasked with driving recovery and development initiatives in the region, which continues to grapple with insecurity, displacement, and infrastructural challenges.
