Environment Ministry Defends 2025 Budget Performance, 2026 Proposal Before House of Representatives as Agencies Call for Stronger Funding, Strategic Support
By Onwe Wisdom, Pan Afric Reporters
The Federal Ministry of Environment and its affiliated agencies appeared before the House of Representatives today in a critical budget defence session reviewing the ministry’s 2025 budget performance and its 2026 budget proposal as part of the National Assembly’s ongoing scrutiny of the 2026 Appropriation Bill.
The hearing, carried out by the House Committee on Environment and joined by other legislative oversight committees, focused on how released funds were utilised in 2025 and the adequacy of allocations proposed for 2026 to meet Nigeria’s escalating environmental challenges.
The House Committee Chairman on Environment, Hon. Mike Etaba in a firm but constructive remarks, emphasizing that environmental governance must translate into visible impact for Nigerians; noting that the Committee acknowledged improvements in documentation and reporting under the 2025 budget performance.
“Environmental management is no longer optional; it is central to national survival,” the Chairman stated, citing recurring floods, desert encroachment, coastal erosion and rising pollution levels as urgent national concerns.
He assured the Ministry of legislative support but stressed that accountability and transparency would remain paramount.
In his presentation before lawmakers, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Mahmud Adam Kambari said officials acknowledged progress in key climate, conservation and pollution-control interventions under the 2025 budget cycle, but flagged inadequate funding and late releases of capital allocations as major impediments to full implementation. He appealed to lawmakers to consider upward adjustments in critical areas for the 2026 estimates, says that persistent environmental threats, including erosion, deforestation and flooding, require more robust fiscal support.
Officials from core agencies under the ministry — including the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), the National Park Service, and the Environmental Health Council of Nigeria (EHCON) echoed calls for enhanced allocations. They outlined how budget shortfalls in 2025 limited the scope of projects aimed at regulatory compliance, environmental policing, habitat protection and pollution mitigation across states.
Agency directors highlighted that delayed fund disbursement disrupted project timelines and constrained strategic initiatives, especially in areas requiring sustained funding such as coastal clean-up, industrial emissions monitoring, and national parks infrastructure. Several agency heads urged the legislature to increase capital budget lines and expedite release of funds to ensure the 2026 programmes deliver measurable outcomes. Their comments reflected long-standing concerns about fiscal bottlenecks that have previously undermined sectoral programmes.
Members of the House of Representatives engaged ministry officials in a detailed dialogue on the adequacy of the 2026 proposed estimates amid broader concerns about fiscal discipline and performance. Some legislators stressed that environmental imperatives including climate adaptation and sustainable land management must be matched with realistic and implementable budget lines.
Several representatives also expressed frustration with low implementation records observed in the 2025 budget cycle, emphasising that timely release and clear performance indicators should be linked to the appropriation for 2026. The legislature is seeking assurances that increased allocations where approved will translate into tangible environmental outcomes.
The ministry’s session unfolded within a wider nationwide budget defence marathon as the National Assembly continues its review of the N58.47 trillion 2026 budget proposal submitted by the Federal Executive Council late last year. Lawmakers have also taken a more assertive stance on accountability, with the Public Accounts Committee recommending that 22 MDAs be excluded from the 2026 appropriation for failing to properly account for previous allocations.
The Environment Ministry’s defence session was among several focused hearings scheduled this week, as lawmakers push to conclude detailed deliberations ahead of the planned passage of the Appropriation Bill. Environment committee officials said they will incorporate insights from the hearing into their committee report to the full House, which will also propose any adjustments to the ministry’s allocation in line with national priorities and fiscal realities.
