The Senate Committee on the North Central Development Commission (NCDC) has directed the commission to prioritise agriculture, security, and rural infrastructure in its immediate development plans, despite facing a major funding gap. 

Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, 14 July 2026, following a closed-door meeting with the commission’s management, Committee Chairman Senator Titus Zam announced that lawmakers have established a strict oversight framework to ensure that the agency’s limited monthly disbursements yield immediate, measurable results.

The legislative directive comes amid growing concerns over a deep mismatch between the commission’s approved statutory funding and its actual monthly releases from the federal treasury. 

Senator Zam disclosed that the NCDC currently receives only ₦2.9 billion monthly from the federal government, a sum he described as “a drop in the ocean” when contrasted against its approved ₦140 billion annual budget. 

While the current funding rate leaves a massive budgetary deficit by year-end, Zam commended President Bola Tinubu and the executive branch for initiating early disbursements, expressing optimism that funding volumes will scale up as the newly established agency reaches full operational capacity.

The Senate panel has instructed the NCDC to direct substantial capital toward developing the region’s massive agricultural potential. 

Senator Zam emphasised that the North-Central zone possesses a unique comparative advantage due to its vast arable land, rich vegetation, and reliable seasonal rainfall patterns. By focusing on agricultural productivity and expanding local mining activities, the commission can stimulate rapid job creation, diversify the local economy, and lower rural poverty levels across the zone’s six states.

However, the committee noted that sustainable agricultural and industrial growth remains impossible without addressing persistent regional security threats. The NCDC has been instructed to co-fund state-led and military security initiatives to secure local farming belts, allowing displaced communities to safely return to productive farming. 

Furthermore, outside of major urban hubs, the North-Central region remains predominantly rural. 

To bridge this divide, Senator Zam urged the commission to accelerate the construction of rural feeder roads and bridges, confirming that lawmakers will begin immediate oversight visits across the region to inspect NCDC projects and ensure absolute transparency.

Source: This Day Live
Image Credit: Benue Today