- The House of Representatives has greenlit a ₦2.29 trillion budget for the FCT and ₦1.75 trillion for the NDDC, signaling a heavy focus on capital projects for the 2026 fiscal year.
- Under the new FCT appropriation, over ₦758 billion is earmarked for engineering services, while ₦212 billion will go toward developing satellite towns to ease the congestion in Abuja’s city center.
- The NDDC has secured ₦1.63 trillion specifically for development projects, aiming to address long-standing environmental and infrastructure issues across the nine oil-producing states.
The House of Representatives has officially passed the 2026 statutory budget proposals for the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), totaling over ₦4 trillion.
Eko Hot Blog reports that during Thursday’s plenary, lawmakers adopted reports from the relevant committees, authorizing ₦2.29 trillion for the FCT and ₦1.75 trillion for the NDDC.
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The approvals come amid heightened calls for better security, improved road networks, and more robust social services in both the nation’s capital and the oil-rich Niger Delta region.
Muktar Betara, Chairman of the House Committee on the FCT, detailed that a significant ₦1.74 trillion of the FCT’s budget is dedicated to capital expenditure.
While personnel and overhead costs take up ₦165.78 billion and ₦378.23 billion respectively, the bulk of the funding is targeted at transforming Abuja’s landscape.
Engineering services received the highest sectoral allocation of ₦758.15 billion, which is expected to drive road expansions and urban renewal.
Furthermore, ₦212.74 billion was approved for the Satellite Towns Development Department to bridge the infrastructure gap between the city center and its surrounding residential hubs.
In the same vein, the ₦1.75 trillion budget for the NDDC, presented by Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu, is heavily weighted toward regional development.
With ₦1.63 trillion set aside for projects, the commission is tasked with delivering shoreline protection, electricity, and healthcare facilities across the Niger Delta.
Lawmakers emphasized that this substantial funding must be matched by transparency and accountability, particularly following years of scrutiny over abandoned contracts.
The successful implementation of these budgets is seen as vital for stabilizing the region and improving the quality of life for host communities affected by oil exploration.
