The Budget Office of the Federation has rejected claims that the North East Development Commission (NEDC) operates a ₦246 billion salaries budget, describing the assertion as misleading and inaccurate.
In a statement issued in Abuja, the Budget Office said the ₦246.77 billion reflected against the NEDC in the budget is not a salaries-only allocation but a statutory lump-sum provision presented at an aggregate level, in line with established budgeting practices for statutory and quasi-statutory bodies under the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF).
It clarified that claims suggesting ₦244 billion of the allocation is earmarked solely for personnel costs are factually incorrect.
According to the Budget Office, during budget preparation, where 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 pending detailed submissions, legislative adjustments, and approved reallocations during budget execution.
“This technical presentation must not be confused with spending intent,” the statement said.
On capital expenditure, the Budget Office explained that the ₦2.70 billion cited in public commentary reflects a National Assembly-approved rephrasing of capital votes in the 2025 budget, with about 70 per cent rolled into the 2026 fiscal year. It noted that this was a legislative decision on the timing and sequencing of appropriations and does not suggest an absence of development projects.
The statement added that project schedules attached to the budget documents indicate multiple ongoing interventions across the North East, including agricultural support programmes, food security initiatives, orphanage construction and rehabilitation, IDP camp reconstruction, boreholes, security logistics, and constituency-level development projects.
It further noted that personnel costs in development commissions are standard and necessary to fund professionals required to design, supervise, and deliver projects effectively.
The Budget Office emphasised that the NEDC operates within established accountability frameworks, including the MTEF, annual Appropriation Acts, National Assembly oversight, quarterly budget performance reporting, and statutory audits.
While welcoming public scrutiny, the Budget Office urged commentators and members of the public to engage responsibly with fiscal information, warning that misinformation undermines accountability.
The statement was signed by the Director General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Tanimu Yakubu.
