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The House of Representatives Committee on Information and National Orientation stated on Wednesday that the N8.7bn budgetary allocation for the Ministry of Information and National Orientation is insufficient to cover its operations in 2025.
At its 2025 budget defence session in Abuja, the committee also rejected the N1.2bn capital component of the budget, describing it as grossly inadequate.
The Chairman of the Committee, Fatoba Olusola (APC-Ekiti State), noted that the allocation for the ministry in 2024, when the national budget was N28.7tn, was higher than the N8.2bn allocated in 2025 when the national budget stands at N49.7tn.
“It is unacceptable for an agency that bears the responsibility of disseminating information to receive such a small portion of the 2025 budget,” Olusola said.
The Deputy Chairman of the committee, Felix Nwaeke, expressed dissatisfaction with the allocation and urged his colleagues to advocate for additional funding for the ministry.
The spokesman for the House, Akin Rotimi (APC-Ekiti State), pointed out that many government agencies lacking the necessary expertise were performing the duties of the ministry. He suggested that all allocations for information and orientation in the 2025 budget should be placed under the ministry, where the expertise resides.
Amobi Ogah (LP, Abia) criticised the envelope budgeting system practised in the country, saying it hinders the performance of government agencies. He called on the National Assembly to abandon the system to allow agencies the freedom to function according to their capacities.
In his ruling, the chairman stated that the committee rejected the capital component of the budget and pledged to work with the leadership of the House, the Senate, and the Minister of Finance to increase the budget.
Earlier, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr Muhammed Idris, said the ministry would deepen its engagement with Nigerians on key governance issues in 2025. He urged Nigerians, particularly the youth, to adopt the values exemplified by the nation’s founding fathers, such as Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, and the Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello. This, he said, would rekindle the spirit of nationalism in the younger generation.
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