Business & Economy
Minister bemoans paltry budgetary allocation for Regional Development Ministry …Says allocation can not tackle development strides in six geopolitical zones
Ministry of Regional Development has solicited for National Assembly’s support for additional funding to enable it deliver on its mandate.
The superintending Minister, Abubakar Momoh, made the appeal on Tuesday in Abuja when he appeared before the joint committee on regional development to defend the ministry’s budget proposals for 2025.
Momoh said that the ministry was not resting on its oars in its request for adequate funding.
He said that the ministry was desirous of working and giving maximum cooperation to the committee to achieve an acceptable and workable 2025 budget.
According to the Minister, a summarised outline of the budget envelope for the ministry’s 2025 budget had a celling of N28.9 billion.
This, according to the minister, is made up of N24 billion capital expenditure and N1.6 billion recurrent expenditure, while N2.7 billion was earmarked as personnel expenditure.
Momoh expressed the regret that the 2025 budget envelope still reflected that of the defunct Ministry of Niger Delta Development, instead of the six regions.
He, however, said the 2025 budget made provision of two billion for youth and women empowerment and capacity-building programmes across the regions.
The minister further stated that one billion naira was also provided for livelihood support initiatives and N600 million for medical outreach programmes for rural communities.
He said the ‘meager’ capital budgetary ceiling of N24 billion meant that the ministry might be constrained to apply judicious use of the funds by specifically applying some parameters to guide selection of projects execution.
According to him, the ministry is poised to step down projects with low levels of completion, complete those ongoing and include the ones that, upon completion, will have highest impacts on the regions.
Momoh said that the ministry was also keen on reducing the high incidence of abandoned and uncompleted projects, while placing emphasis on human capital development, job creation and social protection-related projects.
Earlier, Chairman of the committee, Sen. Olajide Ipinsagba, said that the transformation of the former ministry of niger delta development into the ministry of regional development was a landmark decision.
Ipinsagba said that the decision reflected the Federal Government’s commitment to inclusive and sustainable national development.
He said the broader mandate was a strategic step to addressing the diverse development needs of the regions across the country.
Ipinsagba said that the new ministry would maintain a firm focus on the peculiar challenges faced by the Niger Delta region. According to him, the ministry now serves as a beacon of hope for other regions facing similar development challenges.
Ipinsagba said that the committee would critically evaluate the ministry’s proposal to ensure that its new mandate was reflected in its priorities.
“This means we will be able to support students and care-givers by supporting the development of schools and programmes.
“We will be able to support the development of free education and a number of other research projects.
“This will also be beneficial to the development of school services and other programmes,” he said.
The senator urged the joint committee to set the ministry on the path of achieving its goals of equitable development, economic inclusion and national unity.
He commended the leadership and staff members of the ministry for embracing the expanded role with vision and determination.
Business & Economy
*HallowMace Foundation and Partners Unveil Final Three Nominees Per Geo-Political Zone for 2026 National Legislative Award, Announces Final Voting Stage*
ABUJA, April 16, 2026, The HallowMace Foundation and Partners have officially released the final list of the last three outstanding nominees per Nigeria’s six geo-political zones for the upcoming National Legislative Award, scheduled to take place in July 2026.
After a rigorous selection process incorporating input from Nigerian citizens and the National Assembly Press Corps, the Foundation and Partners finalized the roster of distinguished Senators and House of Representatives members who have demonstrated exceptional legislative performance.
The nominees are grouped by geo-political zone as follows:
*SOUTH EAST*
*Senate*
Sen. Enyinnaya Abariba
Sen. Victor Umeh
Sen. Osita Izunaso
*House of Reps*
Hon. Benjamin Kalu
Hon. Dominic Okafor
Hon. Chike Okafor
*SOUTH SOUTH*
*Senate*
Sen. Seriake Dickson
Sen. Adams Oshiomole
Sen. Asuquo Ekpenyong
*House of Reps*
Hon. Frederick Agbedi
Hon. Francis Waive
Hon. Inombek Awaji-Abiante
*SOUTH WEST*
*Senate*
Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele
Sen. Solomon Olamilekan
Sen. Abdulfattah Buhari
*House of Reps*
Hon. Akin Rotimi
Hon. Babajimi Benson
Hon. Oluwole Oke
*NORTH CENTRAL*
*Senate*
Sen. Sani Musa
Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduanghan
Sen. Aliyu Wadada
*House of Reps*
Hon. Terseer Ugbor
Hon. Saidu Musa Abdullahi
Hon. Jonathan G. Gaza
*NORTH EAST*
*Senate*
Sen. Abdul Ninji
Sen. Muhammed Monguno
Sen. Muhammed Danjuma Goje
*House of Reps*
Hon. Laori K. Bitrus
Hon. Ahmadu Usman Jaha
Hon. Bello Usman Kumo
*NORTH WEST*
*Senate*
Sen. Hussaini Babangida Uba
Sen. Sunday Katung
Sen. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal
*House of Reps*
Hon. Hassan Fulata
Hon. Abdussamad Dasuki
Hon. Sada Soli
According to the Organisers, these nominees represent the *“last three”* standing per zone following extensive voting by Nigerian public and legislative correspondents. They have been recognized for their outstanding contributions to lawmaking, oversight, and constituency representation.
*Voting For The Next Stage Now Open*
The HallowMace Foundation and Partners hereby announce that voting for the final selection stage has commenced effective today, April 16, 2026. In this crucial phase, members of the public are invited to vote to select one Senator and one House of Representatives member per geo-political zone from the list of final nominees.
Email: thenationallegislativeawards@gmail.com
This stage of voting shall close on the last day of April 2026 (April 30, 2026) . Winners will be determined by a combination of public votes and final validation by the National Assembly Press Corps.
The National Legislative Award ceremony is set to hold in July 2026, where the final winners will be unveiled and celebrated for their dedication to the Nigerian project.
*About HallowMace Foundation*
The HallowMace Foundation is a non-partisan organization committed to promoting legislative excellence and accountability across Nigeria.
*Signed:*
Amb. Oguh Hyginus John
*Head, Public Communications Desk*
The National Legislative Awards Planning Committee
Business & Economy
PPP Business Model Responsible for Success of NLNG -Fubara *Pledges Continued support for Corporate Organizations operating in Rivers State
By George Mgbeleke
Governor of Rivers State, His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara has attributed the success of the Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas ( NLNG) Limited to the Public Private Partnership ( PPP) business model adopted by the Federal Government and the multinational oil companies from the inception of the organisation.
Governor Fubara stated this while receiving the new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NLNG, Mr Adeleye Falade who paid him a courtesy visit at Government House, Port Harcourt.
The NLNG is jointly owned by Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) with 49%, Shell Gas B.V. with 25.6%, Total LNG Nigeria Ltd with 15%, and Eni International with 10.4%.This partnership model allows for shared risks, costs, and expertise in the LNG sector.

L to R: Miss Homa Nmegbu, Govt. Relations Advisor; Abdul Saleh, Technical Adviser to Exexutive Management; Dr Yemi Adeyemi, Manager Community Relations; Abdul Umar, Manager, Government Relations; Engr Adeleye Falade, MD/CEO, Governor of Rivers State, His Excellency, Siminalayi Fubara; Dr Sophia Horsfall, GM, External Relations & Sustainable Development; Mike Igoni, Head, Govt Relations; Ifeanyi Umeh, Head Community Engagement & Liaison, Kate Allison, Senior Govt Relations Advisor and Emma Nwatu, Senior Media Advisor, in a group photograph during the courtesy visit on Wednesday.
In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary,Onwuka Nzeshi, governor Fubara observed that the NLNG has not only survived the difficult business environment but has made sustained progress in the nearly three decades of its existence. According to him, the decision of the Federal Government to allow the multinational oil companies who have the needed expertise to run the establishment while government plays a supervisory role over it, has largely been responsible for its success.
” I’m very proud to say that if there is one establishment that has shown resilience, that has survived in the face of all the political issues prevalent in this country, it is the NLNG. And what is the reason? The reason is very simple. Government has no business in business. That is the truth. Leave the business for those people who can operate it. Let the government play its supervisory role to ensure that there is compliance with the laws; ensure that standards are maintained and also ensure that the right people with the needed expertise are at the helm of affairs. That’s all. I think that is the reason why we still record a lot of successes in NLNG,” he said.
Governor Fubara pledged the continued support of his administration for the NLNG, stressing that the success of the organisation is equally the success of the government of Rivers State and the success of the Federal Government of Nigeria. He gave assurance that his administration will continue to contribute it’s own quota in support of the NLNG.
“Our duty is to make sure that we support whoever is operating in our state. We are the ones here. If we don’t support you and you don’t succeed, we also will not succeed and Mr President will also not succeed.
“So the success of your establishment is the success of our state, and overall success of Nigeria. So you can count on our support. Wherever you think we need to come in to support you, please do not hesitate to call upon us.
“You just mentioned here that your predecessor left a handover note showcasing the level of support that he got from the state. It is not going to be different in your own case. I can assure you that. I will also ensure that other units of the government will liaise with you when necessary. So even if you can’t get to me, you can always get to them and if there is anything we can do to help your establishment succeed, we will do it for you,” he said.
In his opening remark, the new CEO of the NLNG, Mr Adeleye Falade who led other top officials of the company on the visit, expressed appreciation for the audience granted them and appealed to the Government of Rivers State to continue to support the organisation.
” We appreciate the opportunity to meet with you and deepen this important relationship.We deeply value the support the Rivers State Government continues to extend in fostering an enabling operating environment for businesses. NLNG remains deliberate in its contribution to Nigeria’s development, and Rivers State, our primary host, continues to be central to that commitment,” he said.
The company, Falade said, has continued to work with its host communities to strengthen their capacity to identify, prioritise, and deliver sustainable development initiatives that create lasting impact. According to him
communities including Amadi-ama, Abua, Ekpeye, Okrika, Kalabari, and Emohua have continued to benefit from this model. He said that beyond community infrastructure, the NLNG have sustained investments in economic empowerment through initiatives such as Vocational Innovation and Business Empowerment Scheme (VIBES) and Micro Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) schemes. These, he said, were designed to support small businesses, build capacity, and stimulate local enterprise across the state.
Among officials of the company who accompanied the Managing Director where General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, Dr Sophia Horsfall; Manager, Government Relations, Mr Abdul Umar; Manager, Community Relations; Dr Yemi Adeyemi; Head of Government Relations, Mr Mike Igoni; Head of Community Liaison and Engagement, Chief Ifeanyi Umeh. Others are Technical Assistant to Executive Leadership, Mr Hassan Saleh; Senior Media and Publicity Advisor, Mr Emma Nwatu; Government Relations Advisor, Miss Homa Nmegbu, Senior Government Relations Advisor, Mrs Kate Allison and Audio -Visual Advisor, Mr Dawood Ahmed.
Business & Economy
*HallowMace Africa and Partners Announce First Stage Results For July 2026 National Legislative Awards*
*Abuja, Nigeria, April 1st, 2026.* HallowMace Africa, a leading media and advocacy organisation dedicated to promoting legislative accountability and excellence, has officially released the results of the first stage of voting for its highly anticipated July 2026 National Legislative Awards.
Following an intensive initial voting phase, Nigerians, in collaboration with the National Assembly Press Corps, have successfully nominated a distinguished list of Senators and Members of the House of Representatives. These nominees represent the pinnacle of legislative performance across the nation’s six geo-political zones and the Federal Capital Territory.
The first stage of voting saw robust participation from citizens and accredited press corps members, who evaluated lawmakers based on legislative impact, constituency representation, and public service delivery.
*List Of Outstanding Nominees By Geo-Political Zone:*
*SOUTH EAST*
*Abia:* Sen. Enyinnaya Abariba (Senate); Hon. Benjamin Kalu (Reps)
*Anambra:* Sen. Victor Umeh (Senate); Hon. Dominic Okafor (Reps)
*Ebonyi:* Sen. Peter Nwaebonyi (Senate); Hon. Nkemkanma Kama (Reps)
*Enugu:* Sen. Osita Ngwu (Senate); Hon. John Nnolim (Reps)
*Imo:* Sen. Osita Izunaso (Senate); Hon. Chike Okafor (Reps)
*SOUTH SOUTH*
*Akwa Ibom:* Sen. Godswill Akpabio (Senate); Hon. Patrick Umoh-Ikor (Reps)
*Bayelsa:* Sen. Seriake Dickson (Senate); Hon. Frederick Agbedi (Reps)
*Delta:* Sen. Ned Nwoko (Senate); Hon. Francis Waive (Reps)
*Edo:* Sen. Adams Oshiomole (Senate); Hon. Julius Ihonvbere (Reps)
*Cross River:* Sen. Asuquo Elpenyong (Senate); Hon. Michael Etaba (Reps)
*Rivers:* Sen. Harry Banigo (Senate); Hon. Inombek Awaji-Abiante (Reps)
*SOUTH WEST*
*Ekiti:* Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele (Senate); Hon. Akor Rotimi (Reps)
*Lagos:* Sen. Adetokunbo Abiru (Senate); Hon. Babajimi Benson (Reps)
*Ogun:* Sen. Solomon Olamilekan (Senate); Hon. Isiaka Ibrahim (Reps)
*Ondo:* Sen. Emmanuel Ipimsagba Olajide (Senate); Hon. Donald Ojogo (Reps)
*Osun:* Sen. Francis Adenigba Fadaunsi (Senate); Hon. Oluwole Oke (Reps)
*Oyo:* Sen. Abdulfattah Buhari (Senate); Hon. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe (Reps)
*NORTH CENTRAL*
*Kwara:* Sen. Saliu Mustapha (Senate); Hon. Muktar Shagaya (Reps)
*Benue:* Sen. Abba Moro (Senate); Hon. Terseer Ugbor (Reps)
*Niger:* Sen. Sani Musa (Senate); Hon. Saidu Musa Abdullahi (Reps)
*Kogi:* Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduanghan (Senate); Hon. Leke Abejide (Reps)
*Nasarawa:* Sen. Aliyu Wadada (Senate); Hon. Jonathan G. Gaza (Reps)
*Plateau:* Sen. Diket Plang (Senate); Hon. Yusuf Adamu Gagdi (Reps)
*NORTH EAST*
*Adamawa:* Sen. Abass Aminu Iya (Senate); Hon. Laori K. Bitrus (Reps)
*Bauchi:* Sen. Abdul Ninji (Senate); Hon. Manu Soro Mansur (Reps)
*Borno:* Sen. Muhammed Monguno (Senate); Hon. Ahmadu Usman Jaha (Reps)
*Gombe:* Sen. Muhammed Danjuma Goje (Senate); Hon. Bello Usman Kumo (Reps)
*Taraba:* Sen. David Jumkuta (Senate); Hon. Jaafara Yakubu (Reps)
*Yobe:* Sen. Ahmad Lawan (Senate); Hon. Khadija Bukar Abba-Ibrahim (Reps)
*NORTH WEST*
*Jigawa:* Sen. Hussaini Babangida Uba (Senate); Hon. Hassan Fulata (Reps)
*Kaduna:* Sen. Sunday Katung (Senate); Hon. Shehu Agilo (Reps)
*Kano:* Sen. Jubil Barau (Senate); Hon. Aliyu Madaki (Reps)
*Katsina:* Sen. Abdulazeez Musa Yar’Adua (Senate); Hon. Sada Soli (Reps)
*Kebbi:* Sen. Yahaya Abdullahi (Senate); Hon. Bello Kaoje (Reps)
*Sokoto:* Sen. Amimu Waziri Tambuwal (Senate); Hon. Abdussamad Dasuki (Reps)
*Zamfara:* Sen. Bilbis Aliyu Ikra (Senate); Hon. Aminu Sani Jaji (Reps)
*FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY*
*FCT:* Sen. Ireti Kingibe (Senate); Hon. Ajiya Abdulrahman (Reps)
*Next Stage of Voting*
With the first stage concluded, the competition now enters a critical phase. The goal is to identify one Most Outstanding Senator and one Most Outstanding House of Representatives member per geo-political zone.
In the upcoming second stage, the current list of nominees will be narrowed down to a final three (3) nominees per zone. These top three finalists will then advance to the final voting stage, where the ultimate winner for each geo-political zone will be determined.
*“The massive participation we witnessed in the first stage is a testament to the growing interest of Nigerians in legislative accountability,” said Amb. Anderson Osiebe, Executive Director, HallowMace Africa. “As we proceed to the next stage, we urge the public to remain engaged. We are committed to a transparent process that celebrates the lawmakers who truly exemplify service to the people.”*
*Voting links and timelines for the next stage is as follows:*
thenationallegislativeawards@gmail.com
The voting commences immediately using the above email, *also this voting timeline shall expire on the 14th day of April 2026 by 11:59pm.*
The National Legislative Awards 2026 is Powered by HallowMace Africa in partnership with International Goodwill Ambassador Club, ERGAF Africa, Isabella Ayuk Foundation and many others.
*About HallowMace Africa*
HallowMace Africa is a non-governmental organization focused on promoting democratic values, legislative excellence, and civic engagement across the African continent.
*Media Contact:*
Amb. Oguh Hyginus John
*Head of Public Communications Desk*
HallowMace Africa
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