PROMINENT civic tech organisation promoting transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s public finance, BudgIT, has uncovered 11,122 projects valued at N6.93 trillion inserted by the National Assembly into the 2025 Federal Government Budget.
According to BudgIT’s Senior Communications Associate, Nancy Odimegwu, what began as isolated irregularities has, over the years, evolved into a deeply entrenched culture of exploitation and abuse, with the budget process now a playground for self-serving political interests, led by ranking members of the National Assembly.
She said: “Our analysis reveals that 238 projects valued above N5 billion each, with a cumulative value of N2.29 trillion, were inserted with little to no justification; 984 projects worth N1.71 trillion and 1,119 projects within the range of N500 million to N1 billion, totalling N641.38 billion were indiscriminately inserted, raising questions about their relevance and alignment with national priorities.
“These insertions, far from promoting development, appear tailored to satisfy narrow political interests and personal gains rather than the citizens’ interests.
A closer look, according to this newspaper’s checks, shows that 3,573 projects worth N653.19 billion were assigned directly to federal constituencies and 1,972 projects worth N444.04 billion to senatorial districts.
“Categorically, BudgIT stated, some of the most glaring anomalies include: 1,477 streetlight projects worth N393.29 billion; 538 boreholes totalling N114.53 billion; 2,122 ICT projects valued at N505.79 billion; and N6.74 billion earmarked for ‘empowerment of traditional rulers.
“Shockingly, 39 per cent of all insertions – 4,371 projects worth N1.72 trillion – were forced into the Ministry of Agriculture’s budget, inflating its capital allocation from N242.5 billion to N1.95 trillion.
The Ministry of Science and Technology, and that of Budget and Economic Planning also saw bloated allocations of N994.98 billion and N1.1 trillion, respectively, from insertions alone.”
Even more concerning, it noted, is the targeted misuse of agencies like the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (Lagos) and the Federal Cooperative College, Oji River, as dumping grounds for politically-motivated projects.
“These agencies lack the technical capacity to execute such projects, leading to rampant underperformance and waste. For example, the Federal Cooperative College, Oji River – a training institution – was saddled with: N3 billion for utility vehicles to support farmers and distribution agents; N1.5 billion for rural electrification in Rivers State; and N1 billion for solar streetlights in Enugu State.
These are examples of agencies operating outside their mandates, managing projects unrelated to their statutory functions, and adding zero value to national development.
“Despite these findings, the Presidency has remained conspicuously silent. Recall that in the third and fourth quarters of 2024, BudgIT launched ‘The Budget is a Mess’ campaign to bring these issues to light,” the group lamented.
BudgIT’s Country Director, Gabriel Okeowo, stressed the urgent need to restore integrity to Nigeria’s budgeting process, highlighting how unchecked project insertions by the National Assembly derailed the purpose of national planning, weakened public trust, and diverted resources away from critical development priorities.
