Toba Owojaiye reporting
Abuja, Nigeria
A recent report by BudgIT, a Nigerian civic-tech organization advocating for transparency and accountability, has raised significant concerns over the 2025 national budget. The report alleges that lawmakers have inserted over 11,000 projects totaling ₦6.93 trillion into the budget, characterizing this as a misuse of the budgetary process and a diversion of public funds for political purposes.
Truth Live News gathered that BudgIT identified 238 projects, each valued above ₦5 billion, totaling ₦2.29 trillion, included without clear justification. These projects raise questions about their necessity and alignment with Nigeria’s development goals.
Also an additional 984 projects worth ₦1.71 trillion and 1,119 projects valued between ₦500 million and ₦1 billion (totaling ₦641.38 billion) were added arbitrarily, suggesting manipulation for political patronage rather than public interest.
In the same vein, the Ministry of Agriculture’s capital allocation surged from ₦242.5 billion to ₦1.95 trillion due to the insertion of 4,371 projects, accounting for 39% of all insertions. Similarly, the Ministries of Science and Technology and Budget and Economic Planning saw their allocations balloon to ₦994.98 billion and ₦1.1 trillion, respectively .
Surprisingly, Federal agencies, such as the Federal Cooperative College in Oji River, were assigned projects outside their mandates, including ₦3 billion for utility vehicles and ₦1.5 billion for rural electrification in Rivers State .
Gabriel Okeowo, BudgIT’s Country Director was quoted as saying:
” The insertion of over 11,000 projects worth N6.93 trillion into the 2025 budget by the National Assembly is not just alarming—it is an assault on fiscal responsibility,” said “This trend, increasingly normalised, undermines the purpose of national budgeting, distorts development priorities, and redirects scarce resources into the hands of political elites. Nigeria cannot afford to run a government of projects without purpose.”
The report highlights the absence of detailed budgets for over 60 government-owned enterprises, including the Nigeria Ports Authority and Nigeria Customs Service, in the 2025 proposed budget .
BudgIT urges President Bola Tinubu to restore transparency and discipline in the budget process. The organization also calls on the Attorney General to seek constitutional interpretation of the National Assembly’s authority to insert capital projects without Executive consent. Furthermore, it appeals to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) to investigate these massive project insertions and hold those responsible accountable.
The report serves as a critical reminder of the need for fiscal responsibility and the importance of aligning budgetary allocations with national development priorities.