BudgIT: N’assembly inserted 11,122 projects worth N6.9trn into 2025 budget

BudgIT, a civic tech non-profit organisation, has uncovered 11,122 projects valued at N6.93 trillion inserted by the national assembly into the budget.

The organisation, in a statement posted on its social media platform on Tuesday, said the practice, which began as an “isolated irregularities has, over the years, evolved into a deeply entrenched culture of exploitation and abuse by top-ranking members of the national assembly”.

On February 28, the president signed the N54.99 trillion 2025 appropriation bill into law, marking a 99.96 percent increase from the 2024 budget of N27.5 trillion.

The national assembly approved the bill on February 13, after revisions to Tinubu’s initial budget proposal of N49.7 trillion.

The key breakdown of the 2025 budget includes a total expenditure of N54.99 trillion, statutory transfers of N3.65 trillion, and a recurrent (non-debt) expenditure of N13.64 trillion.

“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,” BudgIT said.

“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 shows that 3,573 projects worth N653.19 billion are assigned directly to federal constituencies and 1,972 projects worth N444.04 billion to senatorial districts.

“Categorically, 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’.”

BudgIT further said 39 percent of all insertions, such as 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 Ministries of Science and Technology and Budget and Economic Planning also saw bloated allocations of N994.98 billion and N1.1 trillion, respectively, from insertions alone,” the firm said.

“Even more concerning 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 street lights 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.”

‘PRESIDENCY HAS REMAINED SILENT’

Despite the findings, BudgIT said the presidency has remained “conspicuously silent”.

It added that no response was received from any of the institutions after several letters, and not a single institution has taken responsibility for the anomalies

BudgIT, therefore, called on the president to “exercise stronger executive leadership and reform the budgeting process to ensure alignment with the medium-term national development plan (2021-2025) and other national priorities”.

“We urge the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to seek a constitutional interpretation from the Supreme Court regarding the extent of the National Assembly’s appropriation powers, particularly its authority to unilaterally introduce new capital projects without Executive concurrence,” the organisation said.

“We hope that the anticorruption agencies, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), will also take action to track these projects and ensure Nigeria gets value for money.

“We also call on citizens, the media, civil society organisations, and the development community to speak out and demand reform.

“This is not merely about financial mismanagement, it is a matter of justice, equity, and the future of accountable governance in Nigeria.”

BudgIT said it is imperative that the 2025 budget “serve the interests of the Nigerian people, not a privileged few”.