By Ifeoluwa Odunayo
The House of Representatives has announced plans to increase funding for key government agencies in the 2025 Appropriation Bill, prioritizing institutions crucial to Nigeria’s development.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja, Deputy Spokesman of the House, Rep. Philip Agbese, revealed that agencies such as the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), and the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) have been earmarked for priority funding.
“We are advocating for increased funding for the NIMC, NYSC, and NDA in the 2025 budget proposal. Other agencies may also benefit from this initiative,” Agbese stated.
The move comes as the NIMC faces persistent funding challenges, hampering efforts to register all Nigerians for the National Identification Number (NIN).
The commission has largely relied on the World Bank-supervised Identity for Development (ID4D) project, a $430 million initiative co-financed by the French Development Agency (AFD), the European Investment Bank (EIB), and the International Development Association (IDA).
Under the IDA-approved financing structure in 2020, AFD is contributing $100 million, EIB $215 million, and IDA $115 million.
However, Agbese emphasized that increased domestic funding is essential to accelerate national identity registration and improve service delivery across these agencies.
He reaffirmed the House’s commitment to supporting institutions that drive national security, youth empowerment, and digital identification, stressing that enhanced budgetary allocations in 2025 will help achieve these objectives.
