Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan representing Kogi Central Senatorial District has recommended the upward review of the 2025 budget for Ministry of Information and National Orientation from N8.9 billion to N1.5 trillion.
Akpoti, during the budget defence of the ministry on Tuesday in Abuja, said the upward review would enable the ministry to effectively deliver on its mandate.
According to her, the N8.9 billion 2025 budget for the ministry is grossly inadequate.
“Budgeting about N8.9 billion for Ministry of Information and National Orientation in Nigeria with the population of over 200 million people is a child’s play.
“That amount is too low. The scope of the ministry has gone beyond information, there is addition of national orientation.
” The scope should also cover the reorientation of mindset of Nigerians.
“South Africa’s budget in 2024 for their ministry similar to that of Information and National Orientation in Nigeria was R5.1 billion, equivalent to N409 billion.
“If South Africa is budgeting N409 billion for a population of about 50 million, Nigeria with over 200 million people should be budgeting about N1.5 trillion for Ministry of Information and National Orientation, if we are really serious.
“It is worrisome that a young Nigerian today feels that the easiest way to make money is through rituals or ‘Yahoo’ as they call it,” she said.
She suggested that the Ministry should devise a means to reorient Nigerians, especially the youths, on the values of humanity and self worth.
She explained that information and news shape the minds of the people.
The senator added that with new thinking, we must focus on young people and capture their minds from school to be patriotic and proud of Nigeria.
She suggested that the Ministry of Information and National Orientation should create a directorate or carry out activities that would focus on the minds of young people to believe in Nigeria.
“There is need to review the budget of the ministry upwards because budgeting below nine billion naira to reorient our people is too poor.
“We are handling one crisis to the other; if it is not religion, it is ethnic. Even gender; we have only four women in the Senate. So we need to boost the minds of young people to be patriotic and believe in Nigeria.
“So, I think the ministry should be given more time to review the budget upwards and incorporate more and new projects, taking into consideration young people,” she said. (NAN)
