BudgIT Alleges ₦6.93 Trillion Worth of Unjustified Projects Inserted in 2025 Budget by National Assembly

A civic and transparency-focused non-governmental organization, BudgIT Nigeria, has raised a red flag over what it describes as large-scale, unjustified insertions in the 2025 federal budget by the 10th National Assembly (NASS). In a report released on Tuesday, BudgIT alleged that the legislature inserted a staggering 11,122 projects valued at ₦6.93 trillion, many of which lacked proper justification or alignment with Nigeria’s development priorities.

According to BudgIT, a deep-dive analysis revealed that 238 of these projects were each valued at over ₦5 billion, collectively worth ₦2.29 trillion. These high-cost projects, the organization says, were introduced into the budget without transparent reasoning, raising questions about their necessity and oversight.

Further breakdown shows that 984 projects costing a total of ₦1.71 trillion were embedded without justification, while another 1,119 projects valued between ₦500 million and ₦1 billion accounted for an additional ₦641.38 billion.

Unprecedented Budget Anomalies

BudgIT’s report paints a troubling picture of what it described as “indiscriminate and politically motivated budget insertions.” One of the most glaring examples cited includes 1,477 streetlight projects costing ₦393.29 billion, 538 borehole projects at ₦114.53 billion, and 2,122 ICT-related initiatives worth ₦505.79 billion. Additionally, ₦6.74 billion was inexplicably set aside for what was termed “empowerment of traditional rulers.”

“These kinds of allocations, often lacking strategic intent or proper execution channels, reflect a troubling misuse of public resources,” BudgIT noted.

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Agriculture Ministry Overburdened with Political Projects

One of the key highlights of the report is the alarming budgetary burden placed on the Federal Ministry of Agriculture. BudgIT stated that 39% of the total insertions—about 4,371 projects worth ₦1.72 trillion—were assigned to this ministry alone, raising its capital budget from ₦242.5 billion to a staggering ₦1.95 trillion.

Other ministries did not escape the insertion frenzy. The Ministry of Science and Technology saw its capital allocations balloon by ₦994.98 billion, while the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning received insertions worth ₦1.1 trillion.

“These distortions compromise the ministries’ ability to carry out actual development projects and dilute the impact of the national budget,” the report warned.

Agencies Misused as Project Dumping Grounds

BudgIT’s investigation also identified the misuse of smaller government institutions such as the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (Lagos) and the Federal Cooperative College, Oji River. These institutions, typically not equipped for major capital projects, were assigned projects worth billions.

The Federal Cooperative College, Oji River—a training-focused institution—was saddled with responsibilities far beyond its core mandate, including ₦3 billion for utility vehicles, ₦1.5 billion for rural electrification in Rivers State, and ₦1 billion for solar streetlights in Enugu.

“These are classic examples of project dumping and serve no purpose other than political gain,” BudgIT said, urging reforms to prevent such misuse.

Calls for Executive Action and Judicial Interpretation

In light of these findings, BudgIT has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to exercise stronger executive leadership and take concrete steps to reform Nigeria’s budgeting process. It specifically called for alignment with the Medium-Term National Development Plan (2021–2025) and a shift towards more evidence-based and transparent budgetary allocations.

The organisation also called on the Attorney General of the Federation to approach the Supreme Court for a constitutional interpretation of the National Assembly’s appropriation powers—especially regarding its authority to independently introduce new capital projects without input or approval from the Executive.

Anti-Corruption Agencies Urged to Intervene

BudgIT did not stop at recommending reforms. It appealed to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to track and scrutinise the implementation of the controversial projects to ensure transparency, accountability, and value for money.

“This is not just about numbers. It is a question of justice, equity, and the future of accountable governance in Nigeria,” the report concluded.

Citizens Urged to Demand Accountability

The organization also encouraged Nigerian citizens, civil society, the media, and the international development community to raise their voices in demanding a reformed, accountable budgeting system.

As Nigeria grapples with economic challenges, rising debt, and growing public distrust in governance, BudgIT’s revelations call for urgent action to restore integrity to the national budget.