By Temi Olowu
Civil society group BudgIT Nigeria once again revealed deeper issues of fiscal mismanagement in the federal budget, accusing Nigeria’s National Assembly of padding government agency budgets to serve personal interests.
On Friday, BudgIT took to its X platform to expose questionable financial allocations within the 2024 federal budget, citing how the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) received N300 million to purchase and distribute tricycles—an initiative outside its core mandate.
“Nigerians, since when did news agencies become tricycle distributors?” BudgIT posted, questioning how NAN’s budget included funds for tricycles in Abia, school renovations in Bayelsa, and streetlight installations in Rivers.
“Is this their job? How did we get here? #2025 Budget will soon be released, Nigerians; hold your lawmakers accountable,” the post continued.
This revelation follows Thursday’s uncovering of an N80 million allocation to Nigeria’s space agency for a pregnancy sensitization project, which BudgIT labelled as “irrelevant.”
According to the group, this is part of a pattern of budget “insertions” where lawmakers include frivolous allocations for personal gain during the approval process.
“N80 million to a Space Agency for pregnancy sensitization? This is @nassnigeria members looting through budget insertions! They are inserting projects for personal gain. We can’t let this continue,” BudgIT wrote, urging the public to scrutinize the upcoming 2025 budget and hold lawmakers accountable.
The trend of budget padding in Nigeria’s public sector has raised serious concerns about transparency. Observers argue that the allocation of funds to unrelated or obscure projects reflects a systemic failure to prioritize national development.
This long-standing issue exacerbates inefficiencies in public spending, often leaving critical sectors underfunded while enriching a few individuals with access to the budgeting process.
Budget padding or insertions, often orchestrated by lawmakers during budget review stages, typically lead to inflated budgets, misallocation of resources, and missed opportunities for genuine developmental initiatives.
Projects inserted into the budget frequently lack proper oversight, making it challenging to track how funds are ultimately spent, leaving room for corruption.
BudgIT has played a significant role in highlighting these irregularities, using data-driven analysis and public advocacy to expose the misuse of federal and state budgets in Nigeria.
The tech-based civic group’s continuous scrutiny is crucial in pressuring lawmakers and government officials to embrace transparency and accountability in financial management.
As the 2025 budget looms, the role of civil society in monitoring federal allocations is expected to intensify.
For now, BudgIT’s ongoing efforts are a reminder of the need for more vigilant budgetary oversight to prevent further fiscal recklessness and ensure funds are channelled into projects that genuinely benefit Nigeria’s citizens.
(Edited by Oludare Mayowa; omayowa@globalfinancialdigest.com; Newsroom: +234 8033 964 138)
