Home » Reps Committee Rejects N8.7bn Allocation to Information Ministry, Labels Budget Inadequate

Reps Committee Rejects N8.7bn Allocation to Information Ministry, Labels Budget Inadequate

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The House of Representatives Committee on Information and National Orientation has raised concerns over the N8.7 billion budgetary allocation proposed for the Ministry of Information and National Orientation for its 2025 operations.

The Committee at its 2025 budget defence session held on Wednesday in Abuja, expressed dissatisfaction with the N1.2 billion earmarked for capital projects, describing it as grossly inadequate to meet the ministry’s operational demands.

The Chairman of the House Committee, Rep. Fatoba Olusola (APC-Ekiti State), has expressed dissatisfaction with the allocation to the Ministry of Information in the 2025 national budget. He noted that the ministry was allocated a mere N8.2 billion in 2025, despite the national budget rising significantly to N49.7 trillion, compared to its N28.7 trillion in 2024 when the ministry received a higher allocation of N28.7 billion.

Hon. Olusola described the disparity as unacceptable, stressing that an agency tasked with the critical responsibility of disseminating information should receive a more substantial allocation to effectively carry out its mandate.

The Deputy Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Felix Nwaeke, has expressed dissatisfaction with the meager budgetary allocation for the ministry, describing it as inadequate to meet its operational needs.

Speaking during a budget review session, Nwaeke proposed that the committee outrightly reject the allocation and advocate for an increase before the House leadership.

Echoing his sentiments, Hon. Ismail Tijani (APC-Kwara) criticized the proposed allocation, noting that it falls far short of what is required to sustain the ministry in 2025 and enable it to fulfill its mandate effectively.

Hon. Akin Rotimi (APC-Ekiti) raised concerns over funding challenges faced by the ministry, noting that some of its agencies operate foreign offices that project Nigeria’s image globally. He emphasized that the current funding allocation is insufficient to meet the ministry’s critical demands.

Rotimi also pointed out that many government agencies lacking the requisite expertise are encroaching on the ministry’s mandate, further complicating its operations and undermining its effectiveness.

He said, a closer look at the 2025 budget reveals significant lump sum allocations tagged under “Information and Orientation” in the budgetary lines of various agencies.

Rotimi has advocated for a more streamlined approach, suggesting that all allocations for “Information and Orientation” should be centralized within the Ministry of Information, which possesses the requisite expertise to effectively manage these responsibilities.

Hon. Amobi Ogah strongly criticized the envelope budgeting system currently practiced in Nigeria, describing it as a major constraint on the efficiency and performance of government agencies.

According to the lawmaker, the system, which allocates predetermined budgetary limits to government agencies irrespective of their operational needs, hampers their ability to deliver on their mandates effectively.

He urged the National Assembly to abolish the envelope budgeting approach and adopt a more flexible and needs-based budgeting framework that would empower government agencies to operate at full capacity and deliver optimal results.

In his ruling, the chairman said the committee rejects the capital component of the budget, pledging to work with the leadership of the house, Senate and the Minister of Finance boost the budget.

Earlier, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr Muhammed Idris said that the is saddled with responsibility of ensuring that information that Nigerians require from government is made available to them.

He said that the ministry was also looking forward to consolidate the ministerial briefing where ministers will appear to inform Nigerians what they are doing and get feedback from Nigerians.

According to Idris, they have seen over the years the gradual erosion of trust from the Nigerian public to the government.

He said that there is a need for the Ministry of Information and its agencies is to deepen its engagement with the Nigerian public, so that people will get to know more about the activities and programmes of government.

“Now there is a portal that we have also strengthened by the way of information coming from these ministries coming in there, so that Nigerians can be better from this portal, this site have been reinvigorated.

“We urge all Nigerians to go back there. And all of this, of course, is important so that we can improve on policy awareness, and we can also take feedback from the Nigerian public.

“The President has given us this mandate, that is not enough for government to be seen to be building roads, it is not enough for government to be seen to be constructing hospitals.

“It is not enough for government to be seen to be putting money in education. We need to inculcate the right values to our citizenry, especially the young ones, so that Nigerians can reclaim, once again, the lost glory.

“We often look back at our founding fathers, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Tafawa Balewa, and Obafemi Awolowo, and speak of their remarkable contributions to our first democratic experiment. We praise their legacies, but we must also ask ourselves: what has happened since they left the scene? Despite their efforts, we still find ourselves constantly referring to their achievements, unable to move beyond their era.

“The goal now is to inspire a new generation, to revive the ideals of leaders like Azikiwe and Awolowo, and to encourage young Nigerians to embrace these principles. Only then can Nigeria truly begin to think, speak, and act as a united nation once more.”

(Independent)

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