Lawmakers Insert Controversial N6.93tn Projects into 2025 Budget – BudgIT

A new analysis by BudgIT, a civic tech organization promoting budget transparency, has raised alarm over the discovery of over 11,000 questionable projects inserted by Nigeria’s National Assembly into the proposed 2025 Federal Government budget.

The total value of these additions stands at a staggering N6.93 trillion, bringing fresh concerns about fiscal discipline, accountability, and unclear budgetary practices.

According to BudgIT’s report, 11,122 projects were added into the budget with little to no justification. Among them are 238 projects valued at over N5 billion each, with a combined cost of N2.29 trillion. A further 984 projects totaling N1.71 trillion, and 1,119 projects worth N641.38 billion, were also flagged as lacking transparency.

The report details how 3,573 projects worth N653.19 billion are directly assigned to federal constituencies, while another 1,972 projects worth N444.04 billion were directed to senatorial districts. These allocations, BudgIT says, were made without sufficient clarity on their necessity or feasibility.

Some of the most questionable insertions include:

• 1,477 streetlight projects collectively worth N393.29 billion
• 538 borehole projects valued at N114.53 billion
• 2,122 ICT projects totaling N505.79 billion
• An allocation of N6.74 billion for the vague purpose of “empowerment of traditional rulers”

Even more concerning is how the extra projects distorted ministry budgets. BudgIT found that 4,371 projects, worth a total of N1.72 trillion, were pushed into the budget of the Ministry of Agriculture, inflating its capital expenditure from N242.5 billion to N1.95 trillion.

The Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning were also heavily affected. Their allocations bloated by N994.98 billion and N1.1 trillion respectively due to insertions alone.

BudgIT says these additions raise serious questions and should be properly explained to the public.