Four hours of scrutiny, then a rupture
What began as an extended budget defence session for the Ministry of Steel Development concluded with a visible breakdown in parliamentary decorum, as Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan walked out following a dispute with the committee chairman, Patrick Ndubueze.
The meeting, which lasted nearly four hours, had centred on the performance of the 2024 budget and proposals for 2025, with particular attention to the long-delayed Ajaokuta Steel Company located in Kogi State.
Tensions escalated toward the end of proceedings when Akpoti-Uduaghan sought to continue questioning the minister after the chairman indicated that scrutiny had concluded.
Disagreement over floor recognition
As she attempted to press further questions regarding Ajaokuta’s status and Memoranda of Understanding entered into by the ministry, Ndubueze advised her to reserve additional queries for a subsequent investigative session.
He noted that she had already spoken extensively during the deliberations and moved to bring the hearing to a close.
The senator objected, arguing that the matter was vital to her role as representative of the host senatorial district.
“You can’t do this to me… I have something very vital to interface with the minister,” she said during the exchange, adding that the committee had not engaged the ministry frequently enough on the steel project.
Ndubueze maintained that procedural rules had been followed before striking the gavel to adjourn the meeting.
Akpoti-Uduaghan then exited the session.
Transparency at the core
Beyond the exchange itself, the underlying dispute concerned transparency and progress at Ajaokuta Steel Company.
Akpoti-Uduaghan questioned the structure of agreements entered into by the ministry and said she had requested copies of relevant Memoranda of Understanding but had not received them directly.
“I did request a copy of the MoU because I needed to be certain that due diligence was conducted,” she stated, adding that she had previously sought meetings with the minister.
She also challenged what she described as limited progress in revitalising the steel plant despite years of policy discussion.
Minister outlines funding figures
In his presentation, Minister of Steel Development Shuaibu Audu detailed budget allocations to agencies under the ministry.
He said N24.143 billion was appropriated in 2024, including N9.5 billion for personnel, N383 million for overhead, and N11.06 billion for capital expenditure.
According to the minister, total releases stood at 56.5 per cent as of December 31, 2025, with capital releases at 48.4 per cent.
Capital disbursements for 2025 had not yet commenced.
Wider oversight concerns
Other lawmakers also weighed in. Senator Isah Jibrin urged the ministry to explore domestic financing options rather than rely heavily on foreign investors, suggesting that some of Ajaokuta’s more than 20 production lines could be activated in phases.
Ndubueze, for his part, expressed dissatisfaction with the ministry’s engagement record, noting that oversight interactions had been limited.
Despite the heated exchange, the committee resolved to hold further sessions focused specifically on unresolved issues surrounding Ajaokuta Steel Company and related agreements.
A project that refuses to fade
Conceived in the late 1970s as the cornerstone of Nigeria’s industrialisation drive, Ajaokuta has absorbed billions of dollars over decades yet remains largely non-operational.
Its revival has repeatedly been framed as critical to diversifying Nigeria’s oil-dependent economy and boosting domestic production capacity.
The latest budget defence session underscored a familiar pattern:
Engineering challenges remain.
Funding questions persist.
And legislative oversight continues to press for clarity
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