Civic tech organisation BudgIT Nigeria has raised alarm over the insertion of more than 11,000 questionable projects worth N6.93 trillion into the 2025 national budget by the National Assembly. The group described the insertions as symptomatic of a “deeply entrenched culture of exploitation and abuse” driven by self-serving political interests.

In a statement posted on its official X handle on Tuesday, BudgIT said its analysis revealed that 11,122 projects were added without sufficient justification, with many of them bloating ministry allocations and compromising budgetary integrity.

“What began as isolated irregularities has, over the years, evolved into a deeply entrenched culture of exploitation and abuse, with the budget process now a playground for self-serving political interests led by top-ranking members of the National Assembly,” the group stated.

BudgIT’s analysis of the 2025 Appropriation Act uncovered:

  • 238 projects worth N2.29 trillion, each exceeding N5 billion, inserted with little or no justification.
  • 984 projects valued at N1.71 trillion, and 1,119 projects between N500 million and N1 billion, totaling N641.38 billion, inserted indiscriminately.
  • 3,573 projects valued at N653.19 billion were tied to federal constituencies, and 1,972 projects worth N444.04 billion linked to senatorial districts.

The report further revealed that:

  • 39% of all insertions (4,371 projects worth N1.72 trillion) were forced into the budget of the Ministry of Agriculture, inflating its capital allocation from N242.5 billion to N1.95 trillion.
  • The Ministry of Science and Technology also saw a sharp increase from N994.98 billion to N1.1 trillion due to insertions.

BudgIT accused lawmakers of using agencies such as the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (Lagos) and the Federal Cooperative College Oji River as “dumping grounds” for politically motivated projects, despite their lack of technical capacity.

The organisation flagged several anomalies in the 2025 budget:

  • 1,477 streetlight projects costing N393.29 billion
  • 538 boreholes worth N114.53 billion
  • 2,122 ICT-related projects valued at N505.79 billion
  • N6.74 billion allocated for the “empowerment of traditional rulers”

BudgIT urged President Bola Tinubu to exercise firmer executive control and initiate reforms that align the budget process with the Medium-Term National Development Plan (2021–2025) and broader national priorities.

It also called on:

  • The Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, to seek a constitutional interpretation of the National Assembly’s powers to introduce capital projects unilaterally.
  • Anti-graft agencies, including the EFCC and ICPC, to investigate and track the inserted projects to ensure accountability and value for money.

President Tinubu had presented a N49.74 trillion budget proposal to the National Assembly in December 2024. It was later raised to N54.2 trillion by the Presidency and further increased to N54.99 trillion by the National Assembly before being signed into law in February 2025.

BudgIT’s revelations come amid growing public concern over the integrity of Nigeria’s budgeting process, which has repeatedly faced criticism for opacity, inefficiency, and political manipulation.

The organisation concluded by urging Nigerians to demand greater transparency and accountability in public finance management, saying, “It’s time to prioritise the people over politics.”

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