The Senate has urged the management of the North-Central Development Commission (NCDC) to prioritise investments in agriculture and security in its 2026 budget.

The chairman of the Senate Committee on NCDC, Titus Zam, made the call when the commission’s management appeared before the committee to defend its 2026 budget estimates.

The committee on the commencement of the budget defence went into a closed session to consider the commission’s budget.

Mr Zam, after the close session, said the committee had considered all the items on the estimates and found them very relevant and useful for the north-central region.

“As a committee overseeing this commission, we have requested them to prioritise their expenditures in line with their mandate so that the people of the North-Central region will benefit from their services and have value for resources that are allocated to them,” he said.

He noted that the specific development mandate of the commission could not just be in a vacuum, as it had to fill certain sectors of the economy.

Mr Zam listed the sectors to include agriculture, security, health, education, other public infrastructure, and other social services needed by the people.

“You know that North-Central is mostly agricultural, and so agriculture must take pride of place, and it has been so embedded in their budget.

“They are also thinking about working with security experts and other stakeholders in the north-central region to see to it that they support security agencies to deliver on their mandate,” he said.

The lawmaker, however, said the committee was dissatisfied with the implementation of the capital component of the 2025 budget, adding that it was a national challenge, as the 2025 budget had implementation issues.

He said the committee has considered the total estimate of N140 billion for the 2026 financial year for the commission to be appropriated and utilised for the good of the region.

(NAN)