…Bemoans paltry allocation for Regional Dev. Ministry
.As NASS pledges adequate funding of Fiscal Responsibility Commission, others
By AKOR SYLVESTER-Abuja
The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc.Ahmed Musa Dangiwa has stated the urgent need for increased budgetary allocation to deliver the Presidential mandate of providing affordable housing and reducing the housing deficit.
Dangiwa gave the higlight during the 2025 budget defence before the Senate Committee on Lands, Housing and Urban Development, and the House of Representatives Committee on Housing and Habitat respectively, in Abuja.
The Senate Committee is under the Chairmanship of Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, while the House of Representatives Committee is headed by Abdulmumin Jibrin.
Dangiwa, who alongside the Minister of State, Yusuf Abdullahi Ata led the management staff of the Ministry to the budget defence, also presented the 2023/2024 budget performance of the Ministry.
In his presentation, he highlighted the ministry’s priorities for 2025, emphasizing the need to complete ongoing housing projects, slum upgrading, and urban renewal programs across the nation.
Dangiwa also listed the focus areas of his ministry in the 2025 budget to include; construction of 20,000 housing units under the Renewed Hope Housing Agenda, and completion of National Housing projects in over 20 states and the FCT.
The Minister urged the committee to increase budget allocations in seven key areas which he said were critical to the transformative policies and programmes of Mr President to put the economy on the path of recovery and growth.
According to the Minister, the seven key areas included increased funding for the completion of ongoing housing projects, enhanced allocation for slum upgrading and urban renewal programs, additional resources for the National Housing projects and improved funding for affordable housing initiatives.
Others he said we’re, enhanced allocation for housing infrastructure development, increased support for housing research and development, improved funding for housing policy and regulatory framework development.
In a statement signed by Salisu Badamasi Haiba, Director Press and Public Relations, both committees expressed their support for the vision and commitment of the ministry to turn around the housing sector of the country and assured the Ministry of their collaboration to assist the ministry to meet it’s demands and obligations
However, Ministry of Regional Development has solicited for National Assembly’s support for additional funding to enable it deliver on its mandate.
The superintending Minister, Abubakar Momoh, made the appeal on Tuesday in Abuja when he appeared before the joint committee on regional development to defend the ministry’s budget proposals for 2025.
Momoh said that the ministry was not resting on its oars in its request for adequate funding.
He said that the ministry was desirous of working and giving maximum cooperation to the committee to achieve an acceptable and workable 2025 budget.
According to the Minister, a summarised outline of the budget envelope for the ministry’s 2025 budget had a celling of N28.9 billion.
This, according to the minister, is made up of N24 billion capital expenditure and N1.6 billion recurrent expenditure, while N2.7 billion was earmarked as personnel expenditure.
Momoh expressed the regret that the 2025 budget envelope still reflected that of the defunct Ministry of Niger Delta Development, instead of the six regions.
He, however, said the 2025 budget made provision of two billion for youth and women empowerment and capacity-building programmes across the regions.
The minister further stated that one billion naira was also provided for livelihood support initiatives and N600 million for medical outreach programmes for rural communities.
He said the ‘meager’ capital budgetary ceiling of N24 billion meant that the ministry might be constrained to apply judicious use of the funds by specifically applying some parameters to guide selection of projects execution.
According to him, the ministry is poised to step down projects with low levels of completion, complete those ongoing and include the ones that, upon completion, will have highest impacts on the regions.
Momoh said that the ministry was also keen on reducing the high incidence of abandoned and uncompleted projects, while placing emphasis on human capital development, job creation and social protection-related projects.
Earlier, Chairman of the committee, Sen. Olajide Ipinsagba, said that the transformation of the former ministry of niger delta development into the ministry of regional development was a landmark decision.
Ipinsagba said that the decision reflected the Federal Government’s commitment to inclusive and sustainable national development.
He said the broader mandate was a strategic step to addressing the diverse development needs of the regions across the country.
Ipinsagba said that the new ministry would maintain a firm focus on the peculiar challenges faced by the Niger Delta region. According to him, the ministry now serves as a beacon of hope for other regions facing similar development challenges.
Ipinsagba said that the committee would critically evaluate the ministry’s proposal to ensure that its new mandate was reflected in its priorities.
“This means we will be able to support students and care-givers by supporting the development of schools and programmes.
“We will be able to support the development of free education and a number of other research projects.
“This will also be beneficial to the development of school services and other programmes,” he said.
The senator urged the joint committee to set the ministry on the path of achieving its goals of equitable development, economic inclusion and national unity.
He commended the leadership and staff members of the ministry for embracing the expanded role with vision and determination.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Senate has vowed to allocate adequate funds to agencies of government that play watchdog roles.
According to the committee these agencies cannot continue to be weakened by underfunding, given their strategic and critical roles in compelling revenue generating agencies to comply with financial regulations.
Senate Committee Chairman on Finance, Senator Mohammed Sani Musa stated this during the 2025 budget defence of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission on yesterday in Abuja, when the Chairman of the Commission, Victor Muruako appeared before him.
Sani lamented the underfunding of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission, noting that the principle of budget envelope which makes its mandatory for the Budget Office to make proposals for them was hampering their activities as adequate funds have never been allocated since its establishment in 2007.
The Fiscal Responsibility Commission was established in 2007 under the presidency by the Act of Parliament to “promote a transparent and accountable government financial management framework for Nigeria.”
The lawmaker explained that the parliament will look into FRC’s 2025 budget with a view to reconsider it.
He said: “One major area that we looked at is funding. You are not funded very well. And you are just like the watchdog of all those agencies that generate revenue. You are more like the office of the Auditor General. But yours is different because you mainly look at revenue and remittances. What they’ve done has outweighed you. And honestly, Mr. Chairman, I will commend you because you’ve been up and doing all this.”
“And we will do our best to see how the authorities can reconsider your budget starting from 2025. Thank you, the commissioners, and this is the first time I’m having a full picture of your agency.
“Just as I said, the Committee honestly will not go into looking at what is here, but more is to concentrate on how we can get that request approved. Because that will be the basis of which you will be comfortable that you have your working budget. And then secondly, about the issue of the amendment to the act.
“That was that one. And I recall vividly, this is a kind of disability act that was passed in front of the first piece of legislation, just at the beginning of this year. And we did it then with a view in bringing transparency and accountability. And when I look at the budget, it’s just the story of this great country, a very sad story.
“I have written a letter to the Senate President which is still with me and I like to discuss with him personally concerning the abysmal funding of the Commission before I submit it to him which I know will be passed to the Appropriation Committee.
Earlier in his budget performance report, the Chairman of the Commission, Victor Muruako said, they were doing their best, but inadequate funding has posed a major challenge to enforcing remittances in the Consolidated Revenue Fund, CRF.
According to him, the 2025 budget of N1.6 billion for the Commission was grossly inadequate for the extensive work the agency was into, while he expressed the hope that lawmakers will reconsider funding of the agency.
A member of the Committee, Senator Abdul Ningi representing Bauchi Central Senatorial District and other members supported the reconsideration of the FRC budget.
They also aligned with the Commission Chairman’s request for amendment of the Act to strengthen compliance by Government Owned Enterprises and improve transparency and accountability in public finance management.
