President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has transmitted the 2026 statutory budget proposal of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the National Research and Development Fund (Establishment) Bill, 2026, to the Senate for consideration.
Gatekeepers News reports that the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, read the president’s letters during plenary on Tuesday following the lawmakers’ resumption from their nine-week recess.
Tinubu said the NDDC budget was prepared in line with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution and the law establishing the commission. He said the proposal was structured around the NDDC’s revenue and expenditure priorities and aligned with the Federal Government’s fiscal and development policies.
The president said the proposed budget prioritises youth empowerment, energy and power supply, education, industrial and enterprise development, healthcare, security and agricultural productivity across the Niger Delta region.
Akpabio referred the NDDC budget proposal to the Senate Committee on Niger Delta Development Commission for legislative scrutiny and directed the committee to report back within four weeks.
In a separate communication, Tinubu forwarded the National Research and Development Fund (Establishment) Bill, 2026, to the Senate for consideration and passage.
The proposed legislation seeks to consolidate research and development funds currently spread across various ministries, departments and agencies into a central funding mechanism.
According to Tinubu, the proposed fund would support research institutions and academic bodies, promote collaboration between research agencies, universities and the private sector, and direct funding towards strategic national priorities.
The bill proposes establishing the National Research and Development Fund as an agency under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, with direct funding from the Nigerian Content Development Fund.
The Senate Committee on Rules and Business was assigned to handle the bill for further legislative action.
