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2025 Budget: Minister seeks more funds for Renewed Hope Cities, others
The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa is seeking for more funds for seven critical programmes of the housing sector.
These projects he said include the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates Housing Programme and Slump Upgrading and Urban Renewal Programme and others.
Dangiwa made the call during the budget defence session of the Senate Committee on Housing held on Monday at the National Assembly, Complex.
“I wish to request that the Distinguished Chairman and Members of this very important Committee use their good offices to increase the budgetary allocation in severn key areas.
“This is in view of the fact that these areas are very critical to the Transformative Policies and Programmes of Mr President to put the economy on the part of recovery and growth.
“It is pertinent to state here that in 2024 fiscal year the sum of N162.609 billion
was allocated to our Ministry, which amount was considered inadequate.
“Yet, we have been given an envelope of
N83.752 billion in 2025 as the Ministry’s Capital Budget Ceiling for 2025 which is a far cry from even the 2024 Appropriation”.
He said that the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates Housing Programme was designed to be catalyst for economic growth.
“The construction and development of these new areas will generate employment opportunities, stimulate local businesses and attract investments.
“The 50,000 units planned to deliver under phase I will create 1, 250, 000 direct and indirect construction jobs for Architects, Engineers, plumbers, iron benders, masons etc.
“This is in addition to the value chain effect of purchase, supply of building materials and other businesses.
“Currently, we have covered 12 States and would like to cover 18 States at 250 units per site. The amount needed to achieve this N108 billion at N6 billion per state.
He said that the “Slump Upgrading and Urban Renewal Programme” also required increased budgetary allocation.
“Currently, there are ongoing programmes in four states of each geopolitical zone including FCT.
“This means four sites in four states of each geopolitical zone including four sites in FCT, bringing the total to hundred 100 sites. At least N100 billion is needed for better result to be achieved,” he said.
Dangiwa further said that the ministry was exposed to huge amounts of liabilities amounting from projects completed, duly certified for payments before the end of the budgetary year but were not paid due to limited time.
“There is the need to make adequate provision for liabilities to enable the ministry reduce the amount of liabilities it is exposed to.
“The Ministry has over N92 billion liabilities but would need nothing less than N60 billion in the 2025 Budget to reduce the exposure,” Dangiwa said.
In his remarks, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Housing, Sen. Aminu Tambuwal, assured the minister of support to tackle the issues of liabilities incurred.
“We will support you by making sure that we can work together to see how best we can approach the Minister of Finance, the budget office, and even the Presidency.
“How best we can really get this debt relief on the part of the ministry and on the part of our contractors”.(NAN)
Monthly disbursements to the federal, states and local government areas dropped for the third consecutive time yesterday. The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) shared N1.58 trillion to the three tiers for March
The committee announced N2. 411 trillion as the total revenue generated in March at its April meeting in Abuja yesterday.
The total distributable revenue comprised N931.325 billion from statutory sources, N593.750 billion from Value Added Tax (VAT), N24.971 billion from the Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL) and N28.711 billion from Exchange Difference revenue.
According to the communiqué issued by FAAC, the gross revenue available for March stood at N2.411 trillion. The deductions for cost of collection stood N85.376 billion, while N747.180 billion went to transfers, interventions and refunds accounted consumed.
Despite the lower net revenue available for distribution, the March statutory revenue of N1.718 trillion showed an increase of N65.422 billion over the N1.653 trillion received in February.
However, revenue from Value Added Tax (VAT) dropped to N637.618 billion last month from the February figure of N654.456 billion – a decrease of N16.838 billion.
From the total distributable sum of N1.578 trillion, the federal government received N528.696 billion; states collectively got N530.448 billion, while the 774 local government areas received N387.002 billion. Additionally, N132.611 billion – representing 13 per cent of mineral revenue – was allocated to oil-producing states as derivation revenue.
The breakdown of the N931.325 billion statutory revenue shows that the federal government took N422.485 billion, the states got N214.290 billion and N165.209 billion shared to the councils. The oil-producing states received N129.341 billion from this component as derivation revenue.
From the VAT pool of N593.750 billion, the federal government got N89.063 billion, states got N296.875 billion and the local government areas got N207.813 billion.
For the EMTL revenue of N24.971 billion, the federal government took N3.746 billion, states received N12.485 billion and local government areas went home with N8.740 billion.
In the case of Exchange Difference revenue of N28.711 billion, the federal government received N13.402 billion, states N6.798 billion and local government areas was allocated N5.241 billion. A further N3.270 billion from this revenue was distributed as 13 per cent derivation to oil-producing states.
A deeper look into the revenue trends shows that while Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT) and Companies Income Tax (CIT) increased significantly during the month under review, several other key sources witnessed declines.
These include Oil and Gas royalty, EMTL, VAT, Excise Duty, Import Duty, and Common External Tariff (CET) Levies.
A viral video showing several Nigerian police officers allegedly receiving N5,000 each from a Chinese man and his family has sparked widespread outrage and renewed concerns over corruption and ethics in the Nigeria Police Force.
The footage, which surfaced online, shows uniformed officers lining up as a Chinese man hands them cash gifts.
The incident has drawn sharp condemnation from the public and human rights advocates, who described it as disgraceful and damaging to the image of the police.
When contacted by Vanguard, Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said he was unaware of the viral video or the incident.
Similarly, the Lagos State Police Command distanced itself from the footage. Its spokesperson, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, clarified that the incident did not occur in Lagos, contrary to claims circulating online.
Public figures have also weighed in. Omoyele Sowore, former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), described the video as “shameful” and called for the removal of the IGP.
“This is why I keep saying illegal IGP Kayode Egbetokun must leave the police force. It is the shame of the nation,” he wrote in a Facebook post.
Popular social commentator and human rights activist Martins Victor Otse, also known as VeryDarkBlackMan, called the act “disgraceful, disrespectful, and degrading,” urging the police leadership to address the matter transparently.
The incident has intensified calls for accountability, with many Nigerians demanding disciplinary action and systemic reforms to restore public confidence in the police force.
The Federal Government has declared Friday, April 18, and Monday, April 21, 2025, as public holidays to mark Good Friday and Easter Monday.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on Tuesday.
He emphasised the importance of embodying the virtues of the sacrifice and love displayed by Jesus Christ, who had to die for the redemption of man, while greeting Christians on the joyous occasion.
In a statement by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Magdalene Ajani, the minister called on Nigerians to use the holiday period to pray for the peace, unity, and stability of the nation.
He reassured citizens of President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to the Renewed Hope Agenda, which seeks to foster national growth and development.
“Furthermore, he encouraged Nigerians to extend love and goodwill to their neighbours through acts of kindness and generosity.
“The minister wished all Christians a blissful Easter celebration and extended warm holiday greetings to all Nigerians,” the statement added.
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