Tinubu Transmits NDDC Budget, Medical College, Research Fund Bills to Reps By Musa Luka Musa President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has transmitted the 2026 Statutory Budget Proposal of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and two bills to the House of Representatives for consideration and passage.
The president made the submissions in separate letters addressed to the Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, GCON.
In one of the letters dated August 20, 2026, Tinubu forwarded the NDDC’s 2026 statutory budget proposal to the House, in line with Section 121 of the 1999 Constitution.
He said the budget was prepared based on the commission’s revenue and expenditure forecasts and aligned with the fiscal and developmental policies of the Federal Government and the Renewed Hope Agenda.
The president said the proposal also took into consideration the 2024-2026 Economic Recovery Growth Plan and key assumptions of the 2026 Appropriation Act of the Federal Government.
According to him, the NDDC had prioritised youth empowerment, energy and power supply, education, industrial and enterprise development, health, security and increased agricultural productivity.
He said the priorities were aimed at lifting a significant number of citizens out of poverty. Tinubu expressed the hope that the House would give the budget proposal timely consideration and passage.
In another letter dated August 24, 2026, the president transmitted the National Postgraduate Medical College (Amendment) Bill, 2026, to the House for consideration. He said the bill sought, among other things, to reflect the change in the institutional name of the college and expand its mandate to include the award of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) degrees in Clinical Medicine, Dentistry and related fields.
The president said the Federal Ministry of Justice had vetted and finalised the bill in line with drafting standards and constitutional provisions.
Tinubu also transmitted the National Research Development Fund (Establishment) Bill, 2026, to the House for legislative action.
He said the proposed law was designed to consolidate research financing, ensure more efficient utilisation of resources and bring fragmented research and development funds across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) under a National Research Development Fund.
According to him, the fund would serve as a central mechanism through which research agencies and academic institutions could access funding. The president said the proposed fund would operate as a competitive central funding mechanism aimed at fostering collaboration among research agencies, academia and the private sector.
He said it would also support innovation, streamline resource allocation according to national priorities, promote transparency in funding decisions and drive the commercialisation of homegrown technology.
Tinubu further stated that the proposed fund would be established as an agency under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, with direct funding from the Nigeria Content Development Fund (NCDF).
He said the bill was also intended to address the proliferation of research institutes and agencies operating in the research, development and commercialisation space, with each currently having separate mandates and budgetary allocations.
The president said the proposed arrangement would facilitate more effective management of available financial resources for the development of science, technology and innovation in Nigeria.
He added that the bill had been reviewed and vetted by relevant stakeholders, including the Ministries of Education; Innovation, Science and Technology; and Justice. Tinubu urged the House to consider both bills and pass them into law.
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