The Niger Delta Development Commission on Tuesday presented a N1.75 trillion budget proposal for the 2025 fiscal year to the Senate, as lawmakers indicated plans to carry out a physical assessment of projects executed by the commission between 2021 and 2024.

The proposed spending plan was submitted to the Senate Committee on the NDDC, which is also preparing to conduct oversight visits to project sites across the Niger Delta region.

Speaking before the committee, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NDDC, Samuel Ogbuku, disclosed that the 2025 budget proposal represents a nine per cent reduction from the N1.985 trillion proposed and appropriated for the 2024 fiscal year.

According to Ogbuku, the N1.75 trillion budget estimate comprises N776.5 billion as the Federal Government’s contribution, N752.8 billion from oil companies, N109.4 billion as revenue brought forward from 2024, N53.67 billion as recoveries from Federal Government agencies, and N8.35 billion as internally generated revenue.

He further explained that of the total budget estimate for 2025, N1.631 trillion has been earmarked for project execution across the Niger Delta region, N22.3 billion for internal project execution, N47.56 billion for personnel costs, and N49.929 billion for overhead expenses.

On the performance of the 2024 budget, which was extended to December 31, 2025, Ogbuku informed the committee, chaired by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong of Cross River South, that as of October 31, 2025, the commission’s actual revenue stood at N1.985 trillion, exceeding the projected target of N1.911 trillion.

He attributed the improved revenue performance largely to the extension of the 2024 budget cycle.

Following the presentation of the 2024 budget performance and the 2025 budget proposal by the management of the NDDC, the committee held a closed-door session with Ogbuku and other senior officials of the commission.

Briefing journalists after the meeting, Ekpenyong said the committee resolved to embark on an extensive oversight tour of ongoing and completed NDDC projects across the nine Niger Delta states in January 2026.

“At the closed-door session, critical reviews were conducted on ongoing and completed projects by the commission, and the committee resolved to carry out an extensive oversight tour across the affected nine states in January next year.

“The NDDC, no doubt, executed a significant number of projects in the outgoing fiscal year and is expected to do more in the coming year,” he said.

In line with a motion moved by Senator Ned Nwoko of Delta North and seconded by Senator Patrick Ndubueze of Imo North, who is the Vice Chairman of the committee, members observed a minute of silence in honour of Peter Nwaoboshi, the former chairman of the committee during the Ninth Senate, who died two weeks ago.