Budget Clarifies NEDC ₦246Bn Allocation, Debunks Salaries Claims

By Oluwakemi Kindness

The Budget Office of the Federation (BOF) has rejected recent claims that the North East Development Commission (NEDC) operates a ₦246 billion salaries budget, describing the allegation as misleading and based on a misunderstanding of Nigeria’s federal budgeting process.

Director-General of the Budget Office, Tanimu Yakubu, explained that the ₦246.77 billion figure cited in the 2025 budget is a statutory lump-sum allocation presented at an aggregate level, not a salaries-only provision.

“The suggestion that ₦244 billion of this allocation is earmarked solely for personnel costs is factually incorrect,” Yakubu said, noting that temporary appearances of allocations under the personnel heading are technical placeholders pending detailed agency submissions, legislative adjustments, and approved reallocations during budget execution.

He clarified that capital expenditure, cited as ₦2.70 billion in public commentary, reflects a National Assembly-approved rephrasing of capital votes, with about 70% rolled over into the 2026 fiscal year. This, he stressed, does not indicate a lack of development projects.

The Budget Office highlighted ongoing NEDC interventions across the North East, including:

Agricultural support programmes and food security initiatives

Construction and rehabilitation of orphanages and IDP camps

Borehole projects and improved security logistics

Constituency-level development projects

Yakubu emphasized that personnel costs are necessary to fund professionals such as engineers, procurement officers, project managers, and monitoring teams essential for effective project delivery.

The BOF also reiterated that NEDC operates under strict accountability frameworks, including the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), annual Appropriation Acts, National Assembly oversight, quarterly budget performance reporting, and statutory audits.

While welcoming public scrutiny, the Office urged commentators to engage responsibly with fiscal information, warning that misinterpretation of technical budget presentations does not promote accountability.