A total of N2.493 trillion has been allocated to five regional development commissions in the 2025 proposed budget, sparking widespread reactions over the exclusion of the North Central region.
The allocations, outlined in the N49.7 trillion appropriation bill titled ‘Budget of Restoration: Securing Peace, Rebuilding Prosperity’, currently under review at the National Assembly, are as follows:
Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC): N776.53 billion
North West Development Commission (NWDC): N585.93 billion
South West Development Commission (SWDC): N498.40 billion
South East Development Commission (SEDC): N341.27 billion
North East Development Commission (NEDC): N291 billion
The North Central, comprising six states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), remains the only geo-political zone without a dedicated regional development commission. This omission has fueled heated discussions on social media, with many Nigerians calling for equity in federal allocations.
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), established in 2000, was the first of its kind, created to address developmental challenges in the oil-producing region.
The North East Development Commission (NEDC) followed in 2017, with a mandate to rebuild areas ravaged by insurgency.
In recent years, similar commissions were created for the North West, South West, and South East regions after legislative approval. However, efforts to establish a commission for the North Central region have yet to materialise.
In October, President Bola Tinubu renamed the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs as the Ministry of Regional Development, tasking it with overseeing the five existing regional commissions.
Despite this, the North Central’s exclusion from the 2025 budget allocations has reignited calls for the creation of a development commission to address the region’s needs.
Many Nigerians have taken to social media to express their dissatisfaction with the omission, arguing that the North Central deserves equal federal attention and resources.
“There are six regions in Nigeria and only 5 have development commissions,” said a lawyer, Muhammad Adam, popularly known as Nupe Lawyer on X. “North Central people are docile or is it until they also start terrorising the unity of this country that they will be given their own commission?”
“Where is the Middle belt region commission or North Central region commission, my dear people from the middle belt region of Nigeria, what is really happening? Why miss out on this important national budget for development? Where are the Nupe, TIV, Idoma, Igala, Jukuns,Berom etc?” Another X user, Olu of Naija, asked.
“I asked this question earlier in the year, and I’m asking again? So North Central won’t get a Development Commission or what? Is development for only the 5 Geo-political zones named here?
This is just absurd!” Another X user, Abdulbasit, agitated.
Some citizens also called for the establishment of the South-South Development Commission, arguing that the NDDC only caters for oil-producing areas which cut across different regions.
“NDDC is different and shouldn’t be included in that list cos the South South development commission is yet to be passed into law,” Imoh Solomon reacted on X.
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