BudgIT, a civic technology organization championing transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s public finance, has raised alarm over massive irregularities in the 2025 Federal Government Budget.
BudgIT in a statement signed by its Senior Communications Associate, Nancy Odimegwu revealed that 11,122 projects, amounting to N6.93 trillion, were inserted into the budget by the National Assembly without proper justification or alignment with national development priorities.
Odimegwu noted that in their analysis, 238 projects, each valued above N5 billion and totaling N2.29 trillion, were inserted with little to no documentation or justification. Additionally, 984 projects worth N1.71 trillion and 1,119 projects valued between N500 million and N1 billion—adding up to N641.38 billion—were flagged as indiscriminate insertions lacking strategic relevance.
“These insertions appear more focused on political self-interest than national progress,” BudgIT stated. “The budget process has evolved into a tool for exploitation and abuse, led by top-ranking members of the National Assembly.”
A detailed breakdown shows that 3,573 of these projects, worth N653.19 billion, were directly allocated to federal constituencies, while 1,972 projects worth N444.04 billion were designated for senatorial districts. Among the most glaring anomalies were 1,477 streetlight projects costing N393.29 billion, 538 boreholes totaling N114.53 billion, 2,122 ICT projects valued at N505.79 billion, and N6.74 billion earmarked for the “empowerment of traditional rulers.”
BudgIT further revealed that 39% of all the questionable insertions—4,371 projects worth N1.72 trillion—were pushed into the Ministry of Agriculture’s budget, inflating its capital budget from N242.5 billion to N1.95 trillion. The Ministries of Science and Technology and Budget and Economic Planning also saw their allocations balloon to N994.98 billion and N1.1 trillion respectively due to these insertions.
Particularly troubling, according to the report, is the misuse of agencies like the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute and the Federal Cooperative College in Oji River, which were repurposed as conduits for politically motivated projects. The Oji River institution, a training center, was assigned N3 billion for utility vehicles, N1.5 billion for electrification in Rivers State, and N1 billion for solar streetlights in Enugu State—none of which fall under its core mandate.
Despite these damning revelations, BudgIT said the Presidency has remained silent. It recalled launching the “The Budget is a Mess” campaign in 2024 to draw attention to these issues, and submitted formal letters to the Presidency, Budget Office, and National Assembly. Though acknowledged, none of these bodies responded or took responsibility.
“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 Gabriel Okeowo, BudgIT’s Country Director. “It undermines national planning, distorts development priorities, and diverts scarce resources into the hands of political elites.”
BudgIT called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to exercise decisive leadership and realign the budgeting process with the Medium-Term National Development Plan (2021–2025). The organization also urged the Attorney General of the Federation to seek a Supreme Court interpretation on the extent of the National Assembly’s appropriation powers.
Additionally, BudgIT appealed to anti-corruption agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), to investigate and track these insertions.
“We call on all Nigerians—citizens, the media, civil society, and the development community—to speak out. This is not just about financial mismanagement, it is a matter of justice, equity, and the future of governance,” BudgIT emphasized.
