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By Daniel Adaji
The 10th National Assembly inserted 11,122 projects valued at N6.935n into the 2025 Federal Government budget.
This is according to BudgIT, a civic tech organisation tracking public finance in Nigeria.
In a statement released on its X handle on Tuesday, BudgIT described the insertions as excessive and unjustified.
Gabriel Okeowo, BudgIT’s Country Director said, “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.”
BudgIT’s analysis shows that 238 of the inserted projects are each valued above N5bn, amounting to N2.29tn.
It added that, 984 projects worth N1.71tn, and another 1,119 projects between N500m and N1bn (totalling N641.38bn) were included without clear justification.
“These insertions, far from promoting development, appear tailored to satisfy narrow political interests and personal gains rather than the citizens’ interests,” BudgIT stated.
Budgiti analysis revealed that 3,573 of the projects worth N653.19bn were routed to federal constituencies, while 1,972 projects worth N444.04bn were assigned to senatorial districts.
Additionaly, N393.29bn was allocated for 1,477 streetlight projects, N114.53bn for 538 boreholes, and N505.79bn for 2,122 ICT projects. Another N6.74bn was earmarked for the “empowerment of traditional rulers.”
The firm raised alarm over the disproportionate impact on the Ministry of Agriculture, which saw its capital allocation inflated from N242.5bn to N1.95trn.
“Shockingly, 39% of all insertions—4,371 projects worth N1.72 trillion—were forced into the Ministry of Agriculture’s budget,” BudgIT noted.
Other affected ministries include Science and Technology (N994.98bn) and Budget and Economic Planning (N1.1tn), which also saw large insertions unrelated to their core mandates.
BudgIT further condemned the use of technically unfit agencies for project execution. It cited the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute and the Federal Cooperative College, Oji River, as examples.
The latter was assigned N3bn for utility vehicles, N1.5bn for rural electrification in Rivers State, and N1bn for solar streetlights in Enugu State—projects it is not equipped to manage.
“These are examples of agencies operating outside their mandates, managing projects unrelated to their statutory functions, and adding zero value to national development,” BudgIT said.
Despite formally notifying the Presidency, the Budget Office, and the National Assembly, BudgIT said it received no substantive response.
“Even more concerning is the silence from the Presidency—silence which, in the face of overwhelming evidence, amounts to complicity,” it added.
Okeowo called for urgent reforms stating that “Nigeria cannot afford to run a government of projects without purpose. We urgently need transparency, constitutional clarity, and a return to evidence-based planning that puts citizens, not politics, at the centre of the budget.”
The firm urged President Bola Tinubu to lead the reform of the budgeting process and ensure alignment with the Medium-Term National Development Plan (2021–2025).
It also called on the Attorney General to seek constitutional interpretation from the Supreme Court on the National Assembly’s powers to insert capital projects unilaterally.
BudgIT appealed to anti-corruption agencies—EFCC and ICPC—to track the inserted projects and ensure accountability. It also called on citizens, civil society, and the media to speak out, describing the situation as “not merely about financial mismanagement—it is a matter of justice, equity, and the future of accountable governance in Nigeria.”