By Gloria Ikibah
The House of Representatives on Thursday approved the 2026 statutory budget proposals for the Federal Capital Territory Administration and the Niger Delta Development Commission, clearing a combined expenditure of more than N4tn for both agencies.
Lawmakers passed N2.29tn for the FCT Administration and N1.75tn for the NDDC following the consideration and adoption of committee reports presented during plenary. 
Chairman of the House Committee on the Federal Capital Territory, Muktar Betara, explained that the FCT budget proposal was designed to cover personnel costs, overhead expenses and key infrastructure projects aimed at improving development across the nation’s capital.
According to him, “Out of the N2.29tn, the sum of N165.78bn is for personnel costs while N378.23bn is for overhead costs.
“The balance of N1.74tn is for capital projects, for the service of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja for the financial year commencing January 1 and ending December 31, 2026.”
A breakdown of the recurrent expenditure showed that the Federal Capital Territory Administration secured N151.44bn for its operations.
As part of efforts to improve security operations within Abuja and neighbouring satellite communities, lawmakers approved N6.79bn for the security services department of the FCTA.
The House also cleared N1.51bn for the FCT Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board and N910.20m for the Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board.
Under the capital expenditure plan, the education sector received N162bn, while engineering services secured the highest allocation at N758.15bn, reflecting the administration’s strong focus on infrastructure expansion and urban development.
The resettlement and compensation department was allocated N143.18bn, public buildings received N2.38bn, while satellite towns development got N212.74bn to support growing suburban communities around the capital.
Lawmakers also approved the N1.75tn 2026 budget of the NDDC following the presentation of a report by House Committee Chairman Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu.
Breakdown of the appropriation showed that N47.57bn was set aside for personnel costs, while overhead expenses stood at N49.93bn. Internal capital expenditure received N22.36bn, with the largest portion of the budget — N1.63tn — earmarked for development projects across oil-producing communities in the Niger Delta.
The approvals come at a time when the Federal Government is under mounting pressure to improve infrastructure, security and basic services in both the capital territory and the Niger Delta region.
For the FCT, the 2026 budget is expected to support ongoing road construction, public school upgrades, expanded surveillance operations and accelerated development in satellite towns that continue to experience rapid population growth and increasing pressure on public infrastructure.
The substantial allocation to engineering services is expected to drive transport projects, urban renewal programmes and the completion of ongoing construction works aimed at reducing traffic congestion and improving movement within the capital city.
Funding for resettlement and compensation is also considered significant amid persistent disputes surrounding land acquisition, demolitions and the relocation of communities affected by public infrastructure projects.
The increased allocation to satellite towns is widely seen as an attempt to narrow the development gap between central Abuja and surrounding residential districts, many of which continue to struggle with inadequate roads, water supply and other basic amenities despite housing a large share of the city’s workforce.
In the Niger Delta, the approval of the N1.75tn NDDC budget is expected to strengthen intervention programmes targeting underdevelopment, environmental damage and unemployment across the oil-rich region.
A significant portion of the commission’s capital spending is expected to go towards road construction, shoreline protection, power projects, healthcare facilities, educational support and youth empowerment schemes across the nine Niger Delta states.
The approval also comes amid renewed public scrutiny over the commission’s finances and project delivery process following years of allegations linked to abandoned contracts, financial irregularities and weak accountability mechanisms.
Lawmakers have repeatedly stressed the need for the NDDC to improve transparency and ensure that projects directly improve living conditions in communities impacted by decades of oil exploration activities.
