ABUJA — The Budget Office of the Federation (BOF) has dismissed claims that the North East Development Commission (NEDC) operates a N246.77 billion salaries budget, describing the reports as false, misleading, and based on a misunderstanding of Nigeria’s budgeting framework.
In a statement issued on Thursday and signed by its Director-General, Tanimu Yakubu, the BOF explained that the N246.77 billion allocation is a consolidated statutory provision presented at an aggregate level under the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), not a personnel-only budget. The office said such lump-sum presentations are standard practice during budget preparation for statutory bodies.
The Budget Office also clarified that the N2.70 billion capital expenditure figure cited by commentators resulted from a National Assembly decision to defer about 70 per cent of the commission’s capital votes to the 2026 fiscal year. It stressed that the adjustment reflects appropriation timing rather than the absence of projects, noting that budget documents show ongoing interventions across the North East.
Emphasising that personnel costs are essential for effective project delivery, the BOF said the NEDC employs professionals such as engineers, project managers and monitoring officers to execute its mandate. It added that the commission remains subject to multiple accountability mechanisms, including National Assembly oversight and statutory audits, urging commentators to engage fiscal data responsibly to avoid spreading misinformation.
