NDDC Defends ‘Transformational’ ₦1.75tr 2025 Budget, Pledges End to Abandoned Projects Across Niger Delta

The management of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has made a high-stakes appearance before the National Assembly to defend its ₦1.75 trillion 2025 budget, describing it as the blueprint for a “new era” of development in the oil-rich region.

Addressing the Joint Committee on Niger Delta Affairs, the Managing Director of the NDDC, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, insisted that the ₦1.75tr figure is not a luxury but a necessity for a region that has long suffered from environmental degradation and infrastructural decay.

“We are shifting the NDDC from a commission that just awards contracts to one that drives sustainable transformation,” Ogbuku told the lawmakers. “This 2025 budget is specifically tailored to complete legacy projects, particularly the bridges and roads that connect our rural communities to the centers of commerce. We are also prioritizing the ‘Light Up Niger Delta’ project to ensure that solar energy powers our coastal villages.”

The budget defense comes amid skepticism from some legislators regarding the Commission’s revenue projections. With the federal government implementing strict fiscal measures under the 2025 Tax Reform Acts, lawmakers questioned whether the NDDC could successfully collect the ₦1 trillion expected from oil companies and other partners.

In response, Ogbuku revealed that the Commission has strengthened its legal and recovery framework. He noted that the 2025 budget also relies heavily on the PPP model, which has already attracted interest from international investors for large-scale agricultural and industrial parks in the region.

“This is a ‘Budget of Hope.’ We are not just looking at infrastructure; we are looking at the HOPE initiative to empower our youth. If we don’t invest in the people now, the infrastructure we build today will not be protected tomorrow.” — Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, MD NDDC

The committee, while acknowledging the “bold vision” of the leadership, urged the NDDC to ensure that the ₦1.75tr budget is implemented with “surgical transparency.” The lawmakers warned that the era of “paper projects” in the Niger Delta must come to a definitive end in 2026.

With the budget defense concluded, the bill is expected to move to the final stages of legislative approval, setting the stage for what Ogbuku promises will be a landmark year for the Nine States of the Niger Delta.