The Nigerian Senate has approved a ₦140bn budget for the North Central Development Commission, warning that funds must be used strictly for regional development.

The Senate has approved a ₦140bn budget for the North Central Development Commission (NCDC), with a stern warning that the funds must be deployed strictly for the benefit of the region.

The approval followed a presentation by the commission’s Managing Director, Tsenyil Yiltsen, before the Senate Committee chaired by Senator Titus Zam on Tuesday.

Announcing the decision, Zam said the committee endorsed the budget “after a careful look at the issues contained in the budget and the eloquent presentation by the MD and his team.”

According to Yiltsen, the Federal Government allocated ₦140bn to the commission for the 2025 fiscal year. Out of this, ₦100bn will fund capital projects across the six North Central states and the Federal Capital Territory, while ₦40bn is reserved for recurrent expenditure such as personnel and overhead costs.

He explained that capital funds will be spread across multiple intervention areas, including security, agriculture, mining, environmental degradation, education, health, and road construction.

Yiltsen also announced plans to recruit 200 new staff, to be funded from the recurrent allocation following approval from the Office of the Head of Service.

CBI News reports that the Senate committee urged the commission to ensure prudent use of funds, particularly the ₦100bn designated for capital projects. It further called on the six benefiting states and the FCT to provide office space for NCDC branches to support effective operations.