Senate approves N272.4bn for NCC, N15bn for service provision fund in 2025 budget

The senate has approved the 2025 budget of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF).

Ikra Aliyu Bilbis, senator representing Zamfara north and chairman of the senate committee on communications, presented the report during plenary on Tuesday.

He said N272,432,030,805,000 had been recommended for the NCC, while the USPF would get N15 billion for the 2025 fiscal year.

The senate adopted the committee’s recommendation.

Mohammed Monguno, senator representing Borno north and senate chief whip, commended the allocation pattern in the USPF budget.

“I am very much elated with the fact that out of the N15 billion budget, more than 10 billion is dedicated to capital projects,” Monguno said.

“So, it’s only the remaining about N4 billion that is meant for recurrent expenditure.

“This one is very beautiful, and I urge other agencies to copy the same so that more money can be deployed to capital projects that will have a direct impact on the vast majority of people.”

The matter was passed unanimously when put to vote by Barau Jibrin, deputy senate president, who presided over the plenary session.

“I commend the chairman and members of the committee on communications for a job well done,” Barau said.

“They have done the job in a record time, and the report is well articulated and straight to the point.”