The Budget Office of the Federation has stated that the North East Development Commission (NEDC) is operational and mot solely existing to pay salaries.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday, the Director General of the Budget Office, Tanimu Yakubu debunked recent allegations suggesting that the North East Development Commission (NEDC) operates on a massive ₦246 billion salary budget,
He clarified that the ₦246.77 billion reflected against the NEDC is not a salaries-only allocation but a statutory lump-sum provision.
Yakubu explained that during budget preparation, when agencies do not submit complete internal economic breakdowns at the point of upload, allocations may temporarily appear under the Personnel Cost heading as a technical placeholder.
He noted that this is a recognized procedural convention pending detailed submissions and legislative adjustments, and it must not be confused with actual spending intent.
Addressing concerns regarding the ₦2.70 billion cited for capital expenditure, the Director General noted that this figure reflects a National Assembly-approved rephrasing of capital votes in the 2025 budget, with approximately 70 percent rolled into the 2026 fiscal year.
He insisted that this legislative decision regarding the sequencing of appropriations does not indicate a lack of development projects.
The Budget Office highlighted that official budget documents contain schedules for multiple ongoing interventions across the North East, including agricultural support, food security initiatives, orphanage rehabilitation, and IDP camp reconstruction.
Yakubu emphasized that personnel costs are necessary to fund the engineers, project managers, and fiduciary oversight teams required to execute these mandates effectively.
Yakubu warned against the weaponization of ignorance in public commentary, urging analysts to engage responsibly with fiscal information.
He reiterated that the NEDC operates within strict accountability frameworks, including the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and statutory audits, and that the commission does not exist merely to pay salaries.