In a spirited session on the floor of the Nigerian Senate, lawmakers from the Southeast geopolitical zone raised alarm over their exclusion from the Federal Government’s N380 billion allocation earmarked for irrigation development projects in the 2025 budget. The lawmakers condemned what they described as a “systemic omission” that threatens not only regional agricultural development but also national cohesion.
The motion, raised on Thursday by Senator Kenneth Emeka Eze (Ebonyi Central), brought to light the zero allocation to the Anambra-Imo River Basin Development Authority (RBDA)—the only agency mandated to oversee irrigation projects across the entire Southeast region comprising Enugu, Ebonyi, Imo, Abia, and Anambra states.
According to Senator Eze, out of the total N3.2 trillion under the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund, N380 billion was specifically assigned for irrigation initiatives across Nigeria’s river basin authorities. Shockingly, the Southeast zone was left entirely out of this national developmental thrust.
Senator Eze presented a comparative breakdown of how the irrigation funds were distributed to other zones:
Benin-Owena RBDA (South-South/South-West): N42.2 billion
Chad Basin RBDA (North-East): N40 billion
Hadejia Jama’are RBDA (North-East/North-West): N66.96 billion
Ogun-Osun RBDA (South-West): N45.4 billion
Sokoto-Rima RBDA (North-West): N43 billion
Upper Benue RBDA (North-East): N40 billion
Upper Niger RBDA (North-Central/North-West): N24 billion
However, the Anambra-Imo RBDA received nothing.
Senator Eze argued that such an exclusion not only flies in the face of equity and justice but also contradicts the spirit of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which aims to promote inclusive national development.
“The National Appropriations Act is the principal legal framework for equitable national resource distribution. The complete omission of the Southeast zone from this intervention is unjustifiable,” Eze stated.
The Southeast region, he explained, boasts one of the most fertile belts in Nigeria. It has historically been a powerhouse for food production, accounting for:
Over 30% of Nigeria’s yam production
More than 15% of national cassava output
Significant rice cultivation activities under IFAD-VCDP and FADAMA programs
Senator Eze highlighted numerous ongoing and proposed irrigation projects across the region that would have directly benefited from the fund, including:
Ozara Okangwu Agri-Business Cluster (Ebonyi State)
Ivo Dam Irrigation Project (Enugu/Ebonyi States)
Item Amegu Rice Farm Dam (Ebonyi State)
Amauzari Earth Dam (Imo State)
Ifite Ogwari/Omor Dam (Anambra State)
“These projects have the capacity to drastically improve local economies, create jobs, and advance food security objectives. Excluding them from this round of funding is a major economic oversight,” Eze emphasized.
Eze reminded his colleagues that the 1999 Constitution (as amended) entrusts the National Assembly with the responsibility of making laws for the “peace, order, and good governance of the federation.” This includes ensuring balanced development and equity in federal projects.
He called on the Senate to compel the Federal Government to take immediate remedial action and include the Southeast in the N380bn irrigation project allocation.
Seconding the motion, Senator Osita Ngwu (Enugu West) described the exclusion as “an expensive mistake,” warning that sustained marginalization could fuel further regional discontent.
Ngwu lamented that the Ivo Dam project, one of the largest in the Southeast, was last funded over a decade ago with only N5 billion spent to date. Since then, it has been left in limbo despite multiple appeals to the Ministry of Water Resources.
“I have personally written three letters. Nothing has come of them. Now, a zone receives N66 billion and the entire Southeast gets zero? This isn’t just neglect; it’s institutional disregard,” Ngwu said emotionally.
Analysts suggest that the exclusion of the Southeast from a project of this magnitude may deepen the region’s historical grievances over federal resource allocation and representation.
Dr. Kelechi Udeh, an agricultural economist based in Enugu, told Daily Post that the funding disparity could derail years of progress made in repositioning the Southeast as an agribusiness hub.
“Without adequate irrigation infrastructure, smallholder farmers cannot compete. This fund could have transformed the Southeast into a year-round food production belt,” he noted.
Civil society groups have also raised concern, urging President Tinubu to ensure that the Renewed Hope Agenda reflects national inclusivity and not become a tool of regional favoritism.
With the Senate now formally aware of the exclusion, lawmakers from across party lines are expected to pressure the executive for a review. Senator Eze’s motion is expected to prompt further scrutiny of how federal infrastructure funds are allocated under the 2025 Appropriations Act.
If no corrective action is taken, Southeast senators have hinted at possible legislative resistance to further budget approvals that do not reflect geographic balance.
As Nigeria grapples with inflation, food insecurity, and rising unemployment, experts say deliberate investments in equitable agricultural infrastructure remain one of the surest paths to national economic recovery.
The controversy surrounding the N380bn irrigation fund underscores a deeper challenge in Nigerian governance: achieving fair representation in developmental policies. For the Southeast—a region rich in agricultural history—this exclusion is more than a budgetary misstep; it is a call to action for fairness and national unity.