The Budget Office of the Federation has dismissed widespread claims that the North East Development Commission (NEDC) runs a ₦246.77 billion salaries-only budget, calling the narrative misleading and rooted in misunderstandings of Nigeria’s budget process.
In a statement issued today and signed by Director-General Tanimu Yakubu, the Budget Office clarified that the figure appearing against the NEDC in the 2026 federal budget is a statutory aggregate provision, not an indication that nearly all funds are earmarked for personnel costs.
According to the statement, allocations for statutory and quasi-statutory bodies like the NEDC may temporarily appear under Personnel Cost headings during budget preparation if detailed internal breakdowns have not yet been submitted. This is a technical placeholder, the Office stressed, and not reflective of actual spending intent.
The Office also addressed public commentary focusing on a reported ₦2.70 billion capital vote for the NEDC. It said this reflects National Assembly-mandated rephrasing of the 2025 budget with about 70 per cent rolled into 2026, a decision about timing and sequencing not evidence of a lack of development spending.
Project schedules attached to official budget documents, the statement noted, show a range of ongoing development interventions across the North East, including agricultural support programmes, food security initiatives, boreholes, orphanage construction, reconstruction of IDP camps, and security logistics support.
The Budget Office defended the presence of personnel costs within the commission, stating that engineers, project managers, monitoring teams and other technical professionals are essential for effective project delivery and that no development agency can function without institutional capacity.
The NEDC, established by the Federal Government in 2017 under the NEDC Act, is tasked with leading rehabilitation and long-term development of the insurgency-ravaged North East. Its mandate includes reconstruction of infrastructure, economic revitalisation and resettlement of displaced people across the six-state region.
However, the commission has not been free from controversy. In 2023, civil society groups alleged mismanagement and corruption involving approximately ₦146 billion, claiming funds were paid for uncompleted or abandoned projects, allegations the NEDC did not publicly address at the time.
Critics have also called for stronger transparency and accountability mechanisms, pointing to past budget figures and performance breakdowns that showed mixed implementation results from NEDC programmes.
In its latest statement, the Budget Office reiterated that the NEDC operates within the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), under annual Appropriation Acts, with National Assembly oversight, quarterly budget performance reporting and statutory audits, structures aimed at ensuring accountability.
The Office urged commentators and members of the public to engage responsibly with fiscal information, stressing that “misinformation does not serve accountability” and that ignorance of budget processes should not be weaponised in public commentary.
