The Senate Committee overseeing the National Identity Management Commission and the National Population Commission has criticised the Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Accountant-General over poor capital releases. Lawmakers described the situation as a “systemic strangulation” of key data institutions.

During a budget defence session chaired by Senator Victor Umeh, the committee raised concerns over 0% capital release to NPC in 2025 and only 6% disbursement to NIMC in 2024. Members warned that the development could weaken Nigeria’s identity and census infrastructure.

NIMC Director-General, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, revealed that although ₦25 billion was approved for capital projects in 2024, just ₦1.5 billion was released in December. She noted that major projects such as backend servers and database security require at least ₦2 billion to execute effectively.

The Senate committee stressed that inadequate funding could expose national data systems to risks. Lawmakers called for urgent intervention to ensure timely capital releases for both agencies.