A report released by the BudgIT, a leading civic-tech organization, has uncovered an alleged N6.93trn budget padding involving 11,122 projects inserted into the 2025 budget.
The organisation alleged that the 11,122 projects described as “unjustified” were added to the 2025 budget by the lawmakers of the National Assembly.
According to BudgIT’s detailed analysis, part of the alleged N6.93trn budget padding includes a total of 3,573 projects valued at N653.19 billion, which were said to be designated for federal constituencies.
Additionally, there were 1,972 projects worth N444.04 billion allegedly tied to senatorial districts.
BudgIT indicated that 39 per cent of the alleged N6.93 trillion budget padding comprises 4,371 projects valued at N1.72 trillion that were reportedly added to the Ministry of Agriculture’s budget.
The organisation said this alleged insertion inflated the ministry’s capital allocation from N242.5 billion to a staggering N1.95 trillion.
Also, the organisation stated that part of the alleged N6.93trn budget padding included another 238 projects, each valued above N5 billion and totalling N2.29 trillion.
According to the report, these projects were allegedly inserted into the 2025 budget with little or no justification.
Similarly, some of the alleged 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.”
Reacting to the development, Gabriel Okeowo, BudgIT’s Country Director, said, the report reveals an alleged deeply rooted system of exploitation, with the National Assembly using the budget process to advance political interests rather than national development.
Okeowo asserted: “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.
“This trend, increasingly normalised, undermines the purpose of national budgeting, distorts development priorities, and redirects scarce resources into the hands of political elites.
“Nigeria cannot afford to run a government of projects without purpose. We urgently need transparency, constitutional clarity, and a return to evidence-based planning that puts citizens, not politics, at the centre of the budget.”
BudgIT further called on President Bola Tinubu to exercise stronger executive leadership in reforming the budgeting process to align with the Medium-Term National Development Plan (2021–2025).
It also called on the Attorney General and Minister of Justice to seek a constitutional interpretation of the National Assembly’s powers to insert capital projects without Executive approval.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that this comes after the National Assembly passed a budget of N54.99 trillion for the 2025 fiscal year.
The budget, initially N49.7 trillion, was raised to N54.2 trillion by the National Assembly after Tinubu requested the increase.
Recall also that this isn’t the first time the National Assembly would battle with budget padding allegations.
In 2024, Senator Abdul Ningi, who represents the Bauchi Senatorial district, claimed that the 2024 budget was allegedly padding.
He alleged that the budget, which was passed during plenary, was reworked underground and padded with N3trn.
Following the allegations, Ningi was suspended for three months and was later reinstated after tendering an apology.
