Environment Ministry Seeks Higher Budget Allocation For 2025

The Federal Ministry of Environment and its agencies have appealed to the House of Representatives to increase their budgetary allocations in 2025.

The Permanent Secretary, Mr. Mahmud Kambari made the appeal when he appeared on behalf of the Ministry for the 2025 Budget defence with the House committee on Environment.

They made the appeal during a budget defense session with the House of Representatives Committee on Environment.

The ministry, alongside its agencies; the National Park Service, Environmental Health Council of Nigeria (EHCON), the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), and the Forest Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN), reviewed their 2024 performance and outlined projections for 2025.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Mahmud Kambari, highlighted the ministry’s achievements while emphasising that inadequate funding remained a critical challenge.

The Conservator-General of the National Park Service, Mr. Ibrahim Goni, stated that “the 2024 expenditures include ₦4.33 billion for personnel costs, ₦1.03 billion for overheads, and ₦1.95 billion for capital projects, with ₦633.46 million disbursed and utilized so far.”

He appealed for a ₦5.01 billion intervention in 2025 to address funding gaps, insecurity, and illegal mining. The agency also projected ₦180 million in internally generated revenue for 2025.

The Director-General of the Forest Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN) Mr Zacharia Yaduma, similarly called for improved funding, citing budgetary constraints and delayed fund releases.

The Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of Environmental Health Council Of Nigeria, EHCON, Dr. Mohammed Baba raised concerns about the council’s removal from budgetary allocations as of January 1, 2025, and appealed for its reinstatement.

Responding to the appeals, the Committee Chairman, Mr. Julius Pondi, assured EHCON that the committee would work closely with the Minister of Environment to address its funding concerns.

Mercy Chukwudiebere