Ndume urges National Assembly to slash its budget, redirect funds to security and essential services
Senator Ali Ndume has called on leaders of the National Assembly to significantly reduce the Assembly’s budget and discretionary expenditures in order to free up resources for “critical sectors,” especially security.
Speaking during an appearance on a television programme, the Borno South lawmaker said that Nigeria’s current security challenges demand urgent reallocation of funds. He argued that excessive spending on legislative operations, particularly when 2025 budget implementation remains stalled, is indefensible.
To realise savings, Ndume proposed that lawmakers adopt a part-time sitting schedule: for example, convening only quarterly. Under his suggestion, compensation and overheads for NASS members would be adjusted to reflect the reduced frequency of sessions.
Ndume insisted he was not calling for the complete shutdown of the National Assembly. Rather, he emphasized the need for pragmatic cost-cutting: “Our house is on fire, and we need everything to put that fire out,” he said, meaning resources should first be directed toward protecting citizens and enhancing national security.
With recurring overheads running despite limited legislative activity and delayed budget implementation, Ndume argued that only a small fraction of Nigerians benefit from such spending, while large sums could instead support more urgent national needs.