The National Assembly Joint Committee on Public Procurement on Friday raised alarm over the non-release of capital funds to the Ministry of Regional Development for the 2025 fiscal year, as the Minister, Abubakar Momoh, disclosed that the ministry had not received a single kobo from the promised 30 per cent capital disbursement.
Addressing the lawmakers during the ministry’s 2026 budget presentation and review of 2025 performance, Momoh said assurances had been given that 30 per cent of the capital allocation would be released before March 31, but no funds had been received.
“We have not received a dime from that 30 per cent. We have not even received a warrant,” the minister told the committee, adding that the ministry only saw documentation of a purported release of about 9 million naira which did not reflect the promised 30 per cent capital disbursement. 
The joint Committee, chaired by Senator and co-chaired by Hon. , expressed serious concern over the zero capital performance recorded by the ministry in 2025.
Momoh explained that while the total capital provision for 2024 stood at N24.8 billion, only 46 per cent had been released, leaving an outstanding 54 per cent. For 2025, however, he said the ministry had received zero capital allocation.
He warned that failure to release the promised 30 per cent before the end of March could significantly hamper the execution of ongoing projects and expose the government to potential legal disputes from contractors.
Lawmakers also faulted the sharp increase in overhead allocations in the proposed 2026 budget. While personnel costs were projected at N3.13 billion, overhead at N6 billion and capital at N70 billion, members described the nearly 400 per cent rise in overhead, from about N1.7 billion in 2025 to over N6.6 billion in 2026, as unjustifiable.
One lawmaker queried why overhead would increase by over N5 billion when the capital component recorded zero performance in 2025, describing the situation as troubling.
Members further criticised the ministry for failing to provide a detailed breakdown of overhead expenditures, saying the budget documents submitted were incomplete.
In response, Momoh said the ministry did not determine the overhead figures, noting that they were prepared by the Budget Office. He suggested the increase might be linked to the ministry’s expanded mandate beyond the Niger Delta to cover broader regional development across the country.
The committee observed that the non-release of the 30 per cent capital component was not peculiar to the Ministry of Regional Development. Lawmakers disclosed that during a previous engagement with the Accountant-General of the Federation, it was revealed that many Ministries, Departments and Agencies had yet to receive the promised release, despite the extension of the 2025 budget implementation to March 31.
They warned that rolling over 70 per cent of the 2025 capital allocation into 2026 without implementing the initial 30 per cent would effectively “amputate” that portion of the budget, with serious consequences for project execution nationwide.
The panel resolved to invite the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy to clarify the status of releases and explain the persistent funding gaps affecting MDAs.
Lawmakers also raised concerns over the continued reflection of the defunct “Ministry of Niger Delta” in official budget documents, despite its transition to the Ministry of Regional Development. The minister confirmed that representations had been made to the Budget Office to correct the nomenclature, but no changes had been effected.
After deliberations, the committee adopted the ministry’s 2026 budget proposal as a “watching document,” noting that the minister could be recalled if necessary, particularly if there are changes in the status of fund releases. The session was subsequently adjourned, with members stressing the need for urgent engagement with the Ministry of Finance to prevent a repeat of funding shortfalls recorded in previous fiscal years.
