…Women Affairs Ministry seeks upward review of N134.2bn budget allocation, pledges support for Special Seats for Women Bill
Jonas Ezieke, Abuja and Ignatius Okorocha, Abuja
A joint Committee of the National Assembly on Monday expressed satisfaction with the N1.504,251,069,722 trillion 2026 budget proposal for the Nigerian Army.
The House Committee assured the Nigerian Army that it will ensure that funds appropriated are released through effective oversight of the relevant authorities for the execution of the budget.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Army, Senator Abdulaziz Yar’Adua announced this after a joint budget defence of the Joint Committee with the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu in Abuja.
He said “We had a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Army on the 2026 budget and after listening to the presentation of the Chief of Army Staff, all members have expressed satisfaction with it.
“However, all members of the joint Committee also agreed that the major issue is the delay in the release of funds, a matter, which is affecting all other MDAs”.
“But I want to assure the Chief of Army Staff that we are committed to collaborating with him to succeed. The Army is so critical in our life as a nation and we would support you with everything that you need”.
Also speaking, chairman of the House Committee on Army, Hon. Aminu Balele commended the COAS and his officers and men for their patriotism and commitment in the fight against insurgency and protection of the nations territorial integrity.
He promised that his committee will continue to push for the timely release of funds to enable the Army exercise its constitutional responsibilities.
Balele assures that the committee would continue its oversight function with utmost responsibility.
“As we close the 2026 budget defence, I want to thank my Senate counterpart, Senator Abdulaziz Yar’Adua and his colleagues for joining hands with us for this national assignment. I commend the Chief of Army Staff and his team for their patriotism and commitment.
“In my capacity as the chairman of the House Committee on Army, I wish to salute Speaker Tajudeen Abbas for his unwavering support. We know the issues involved with budgets and we are ready to push and will continue to push for the timely release of funds, so that you can deliver on your mandates”.
In another development, The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajia Imaan Sulaiman – Ibrahim, has requested an upward review of the N134.2billion earmarked for the Ministry in the 2026 fiscal year .
This is as the Senate, through its committee on Women Affairs , frowned at the abysmally poor cash releases given to the Ministry’s capital and overhead components of the 2025 budget .
Call for an upward review of 2026 budget proposal for the Women Affairs Ministry , which was made by the Minister on Monday during the budget defence session with the Senate Committee on Women Affairs.
The upward review, according to her , will help the Ministry to implement programmes geared at confronting multifaceted challenges confronting women in the country .
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” In line with the plan and need for more domestic allocations in the 2026 fiscal year, upward review of budget estimates for the Ministry Women Affairs and and Social Development , should be done “, she said .
However in her response , the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Ireti Kingibe ( FCT) , said the request was a welcome one but that poor releases of funds is a problem that must be solved first by the executive .
” We are not against upward review of what is earmarked for your Ministry in 2026 but the problem of abysmal. releases of funds, as reflected in the presentations just made by you on 2025, budget appropriation and releases for your ministry ,is a serious concern to us . That problem must be addressed first, “she said .
Earlier in her presentations on performance of the 2025 budget and projections made for 2026, the Minister said out of the N89.8billion appropriated for capital expenditure , only N394million was released in December which was not even utilized .
” The same thing happened in the release made on fund appropriated for our overhead in 2025 as only N471million was released out of N2.8 billion appropriated,” she said
She added that for 2026, a total of N134 2 billion was earmarked for the ministry out, which , N2.1 billion is for personnel cost , N131.2billion for capital, and N810.9million for overhead cost .
