Legislature
Former Minister outlines benefits in zoning senate presidency to North Central
If the Senate presidency is zoned to the North Central issues of insecurity, poor infrastructure and other forms of economic sabotage in the region would be surpressed, Former Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Hon. Abubakar Bwari, has indicated
Bwari, who was also the Chief Whip of the House of Representatives,urged the All Progressives Congress to zone the position of the Senate President in the 10th National Assembly to the North Central geopolitical zone.
He gave the kndication when he spoke with journalists in Abuja on wednesday.
He noted that the North Central has abundant arable land for agricultural development and is also endowed with rich mineral resources that could serve as alternatives to oil and gas resources, if effectively explored.
The erstwhile Mines and Steel Minister, however, lamented that bandits had stopped farmers from their farms, fishing ponds and took over mining sites, preventing access to investors.
He expressed the hope that there would be a positive change in the region if the APC leadership and the President-Elect support the aspiration of the North Central, to produce the next Senate President.
Bwari said, “Following the conclusion of the Presidential and National Assembly elections, two very important positions have gone to the South-West and North-East geopolitical zones.
“The president and vice president elect have been elected from those zones.
Other zones are now clamouring for the third most important position in the country, that is the Senate Presidency.
“If we look at performance, the North Central did very well for the All Progressives Congress in the last election. We produced very significant votes for the President-Elect and the Vice President-Elect.
“If you consider our strategic location and performance, if we didn’t get number one or number two positions, we should be given number three.
“I think our aspiration is fair and just for us to be considered. Our strategic position in balancing a lot of things in the country put the North Central in the best position to produce the presiding officer of the Senate.”
Asked how a Senate President from the North Central would be beneficial to the country, Bwari said the issue of insecurity would be the priority of the red chamber.
He explained the committees on Defence National Security and Police Affairs in the Senate would be put on their toes to carry out necessary oversight functions to make sure that the military and the security agencies are alive to their responsibilities.
He said, “The Senate President from the North Central, would use his experiences and that of his constituents in the hands of bandits and terrorists to proffer practicable solutions to the menace.
“This is because legislative intervention will go a long way to support the military and other security agencies to go about finding pragmatic and practicable solution to the insecurity crisis from the point of view of the direct victims.
“For instance, Senator Sani Musa, who is seeking to be elected as the Senate President has gathered enough information and solutions to the menace and he would need an avenue to be able to carry them out if he is directly in charge of the Senate.
“Since he played active roles in the 9th National Assembly, he would be able to look at the issues surrounding the recruitment, rewards and punishment system in the military and other security agencies.
“He will ask the relevant committees to look into whether the required monies meant to tackle insecurity were actually released and disbursed appropriately.
“Particularly, he will look at the money appropriated and whether they were used for the purpose they were appropriated. As the 10th Senate President, he would ensure that all these are done through his committees.”
Bwari described Sani as “a team player, very accommodating man with a high degree of tolerance.”
“He is hardworking and had contributed to the APC right from 2014 to date, especially during the campaigns and periods of elections that were held.
“Someone with these qualities should be given a bigger role to play in the incoming administration,” he added..
The former Minister said the major issues confronting the North Central at the moment is that of insecurity.
He said, “Insecurity is slowing down all forms of economic activities in the region. Our people are much more agrarian in nature.
“When the issue of insecurity is effectively tackled, our people would be able to return to farms and those who are hunters would also be able to carry out their activities.
“Those who are into fishing would also resume their trade in full force. They would also be free to go to markets and carry out their normal businesses.
“Tackling insecurity in North Central will help a lot in addressing all the social and economic challenges that we are having in the country. Most mining activities take place in Niger State.
“Another major challenge we are having in the North Central is that of infrastructure especially roads.
“Our roads in the North Central are bad especially in Niger State.
The general issue of healthcare, education, water and sanitation are areas that should also be addressed in the North Central.
“That is why we desire the number three position in the country in North Central in order to tackle the dreaded monsters known as bandits.”
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***Allocates N23.96 Trillion for Capital Projects, N14.31 Trillion for Debt Servicing
The Nigerian Senate along with the House of Represebtatives have passed the 2025 Appropriation Bill, approving a record-breaking budget of N54,990,165,355,396 to finance government activities in the coming fiscal year.
The budget, titled A Bill for an Act to Authorise the Issue from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation, was approved after deliberations on its allocations and implications for economic growth, debt management, and infrastructure development.
The chairman of the National Assemble Godswill Akpabio who is also the President of the Senate gave the beakdown of the 2025 Budget to show that Statutory Transfers: ₦3.65 trillion, debt Servicing: ₦14.32 trillion, Recurrent (Non-Debt) Expenditure: ₦13.06 trillion and
Capital Expenditure: ₦23.96 trillion
The largest chunk of the budget, ₦23.96 trillion, was allocated for capital expenditure, aimed at infrastructure development, healthcare, education, and security.
This signals the government’s commitment to addressing Nigeria’s infrastructural deficit.
However, the ₦14.32 trillion earmarked for debt servicing highlights the country’s rising debt burden, sparking concerns over long-term financial sustainability.
With the National Assembly approval, the budget now awaits President Bola Tinubu’s assent, after which implementation will begin. Analysts predict a challenging fiscal year, balancing economic growth with prudent spending and debt repayment.
However, time will tell whether the historic budget will deliver on its promises, or economic realities force adjustments down the line?
***Says addittional fund is to Prioritize Infrastructure, Health, Economic Growth
The chairman of the senate committee on Appropriation Senator Adeola Solomon Olamilekan has explained the approval of the 2025 Appropriation Bill by the national Assembly which it increased from N49.7 trillion to N54.99 trillion—the highest in the nation’s history.
The adjustment followed legislative reviews that uncovered additional revenues from key government agencies.
While explaining the Budget Expansion and Revenue Sources Olamilekan indicated that the additional N4.99 trillion was sourced from Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and Government-Owned Enterprises (GOEs)
These he said led to an increase in funding for critical sectors, including N1.5 trillion for Bank of Agriculture, N500 billion for Bank of Industry, 1 trillion for Ministry of Solid Minerals, N1.5 trillion for Renewable Infrastructure Fund, N300 billion – Road construction and N400 billion for Rail transport.
Others are N380 billion of Water resources, irrigation, and dam projects, N250 billion for Military barracks renovation N120 billion for New military aviation projects, N50 billion for Border security agencies
Following the suspension of U.S. health aid, which previously provided funding for HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, and polio treatments, President Tinubu approved $200 million (N300 billion) to ensure continued medical supplies and healthcare support for affected patients.
On the major Boost for Infrastructure Development he said a record N23.7 trillion has been allocated for capital projects, marking a significant leap in infrastructure investment.
He listed the areas the funds will focus on to include Roads and railways,nEducation and healthcare improvements and Other critical public infrastructure
To prevent delays in budget implementation, the 2026 budget process will begin in July 2025, with the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) submitted early and the Appropriation Bill expected by October 2025.
Concerns over inadequate rail infrastructure funding in the South East were raised, but legislative leaders clarified that rail projects are primarily funded through public-private partnerships (PPPs).
According to him, the 2025 budget focuses on light rail development in Lagos, Ogun, Kaduna, and Kano, while further discussions on South East projects are ongoing.
He explained that to maintain Economic Stability the budget parameters remain unchanged, with key revenue sources including FIRS increasing its revenue target to N25.1 trillion, Nigeria Customs Service boosting revenue collection through stricter enforcement and Independent revenue agencies contributing 100% of their generated funds to the federal government
The House of Representatives has directed its Joint Committee on Communications and Interior to investigate reports of unauthorized National Identification Number (NIN) linkages by telecom service providers across Nigeria.
The decision followed the unanimous adoption of a motion jointly sponsored by Hon. Patrick Umoh (APC, Akwa Ibom) and Hon. Julius Ihonvbere (APC, Edo). The House also instructed the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to probe the allegations and sanction any telecom operator found guilty of violating privacy laws.
Additionally, the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has been asked to clarify whether telecom providers were authorized to link NINs to subscriber lines and if such actions comply with existing regulations.
Hon. Umoh raised concerns about recent reports indicating that telecom companies have linked NINs to subscribers’ SIM cards without their consent. He warned that this unauthorized linkage exposes Nigerians to criminal activities, such as identity theft, financial fraud, and other cybercrimes.
“This action is a clear violation of the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 and the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) 2019, which guarantee the right to privacy and the protection of personal data,” Umoh stated.
He further emphasized that while the NIN system was introduced to enhance national security and streamline identification processes, unauthorized linkages undermine public trust and jeopardize citizens’ safety.
“Aware that innocent citizens have been wrongly implicated in crimes, suffered reputational damage, harassment, and legal challenges for offenses they know nothing about, it is imperative that we address this issue immediately,” Umoh added.
The House has mandated the probe committee to submit its findings within four weeks, as lawmakers seek to protect Nigerians from potential data breaches and uphold the integrity of national security protocols.
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