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 legislative consideration.

The submissions cover funding for development projects in the Niger Delta, expanded academic powers for the National Postgraduate Medical College and the establishment of a National Research Development Fund.

Tinubu conveyed the NDDC budget proposal in a letter dated August 20, 2026, addressed to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas.

The two bills followed in separate letters dated August 24, 2026, also addressed to Abbas. The documents were received by the Speaker’s office on September 24, 2026.

In the letter on the NDDC budget, Tinubu said the Minister of Niger Delta Development prepared the proposal in accordance with Section 121 of the Constitution.

He said the budget was based on the commission’s revenue and expenditure projections and aligned with the Federal Government’s fiscal and development policies as well as the Renewed Hope Agenda.

The proposal also takes into account the 2024–2026 Economic Recovery Growth Plan and key assumptions underpinning the 2026 Appropriation Act.

Tinubu said the NDDC would focus its interventions on youth empowerment, energy and power supply, education, industrial and enterprise development, healthcare, security and agricultural productivity.

“The House of Representatives is invited to note that the NDDC is prioritising improvement in Youth Empowerment, Energy and Power Supply, Education, Industrial and Enterprise Development, Health, Security and increased productivity in Agriculture in order to lift a significant number of our citizens out of poverty,” the President said.

The priorities come as the commission continues to manage a substantial development portfolio across its nine mandate states.

For the 2025 fiscal year, the NDDC proposed a budget of N1.75 trillion, with N1.631 trillion earmarked for project execution across the Niger Delta. The proposal included N776.5 billion from the Federal Government and N752.8 billion from oil companies.

The commission has also been pursuing wider reforms in project delivery and governance, with infrastructure, agriculture, youth development and human capital among its areas of intervention.

Tinubu also asked the chamber to consider the National Postgraduate Medical College (Amendment) Bill, 2026.

The bill seeks to update the legal framework governing the college and expand its mandate to include the award of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees in clinical medicine, dentistry and related fields.

The President said the Federal Ministry of Justice had vetted and finalised the bill in accordance with constitutional provisions and legislative drafting standards.

The proposal builds on a Federal Executive Council decision earlier this year to expand the academic mandate of the medical college.

The Federal Government had clarified that the proposed PhD programmes would complement, rather than replace, the college’s professional fellowship programmes.

In the third submission, Tinubu transmitted the National Research Development Fund (Establishment) Bill, 2026 to the House.

The proposed legislation seeks to create a central mechanism for funding research and development across the country.

Tinubu said the fund would consolidate fragmented research financing currently spread across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

The proposal would provide a competitive system through which research agencies and academic institutions could access funding while encouraging collaboration between research institutions, academia and the private sector.

The bill also seeks to support innovation and the commercialisation of locally developed technologies as part of efforts to reduce dependence on foreign technology.

Explaining the need for the legislation, Tinubu said the proliferation of research institutes and agencies with separate mandates and budgetary allocations had created a need for better coordination.

“It is pertinent to note that, with the current proliferation of research institutes and agencies operating within the research and development and commercialisation landscape, each agency operates with separate mandate and budgetary allocations,” he noted.

The proposed National Research Development Fund would operate as an agency under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology.

It would also receive direct funding from the Nigeria Content Development Fund (NCDF), according to the proposal.

Tinubu said the research fund bill had undergone review by the Ministries of Education, Innovation, Science and Technology, and Justice.

The three submissions come as the Federal Government pursues increased investment in regional development, education, research and infrastructure.

The House is expected to subject all to the relevant legislative processes before decisions on their passage.