A Breakdown of N6.93 Trillion in Illegally Padded Projects in Nigeria’s 2025 Budget by Lawmakers

An astonishing 11,122 projects, valued at N6.93 trillion, have been discovered to have been indiscriminately added to the 2025 budget with little to no value to the impact they’ll deliver to the Nigerian people.

The discovery was made by BudgIT, a prominent civic tech organization dedicated to fostering transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s public finance. According to the statement signed by Nancy Odimegwu, the organization’s Senior Communication Associate, the discovery shows a ‘deeply entrenched culture of abuse, with the budget process now a playground for self-serving political interests.”

The report details the sheer scale of the illicit insertions. “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 stated unequivocally.

Furthermore, the organization found that “984 projects worth N1.71 trillion and 1,119 projects within the range of N500 million to N1 billion, totaling N641.38 billion, were indiscriminately inserted, raising questions about their relevance and alignment with national priorities.”

These figures alone represent a significant portion of the nation’s financial resources being diverted without clear public benefit.

“These insertions, far from promoting development, appear tailored to satisfy narrow political interests and personal gains rather than the citizens’ interests.”

Also Read: Nigeria’s 2025 Budget Assumptions Unrealistic, May Worsen Deficit — World Bank

Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security: A Bloated Basket of Questionable Projects

Perhaps the most egregious example of budget padding was observed within the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security. BudgIT’s findings show that a staggering 39% of all the identified insertions—amounting to 4,371 projects valued at N1.72 trillion—were forcibly introduced into this ministry’s budget. This massive influx of unverified projects caused its capital allocation to skyrocket “from N242.5 billion to N1.95 trillion.”

The implications are dire, as such a disproportionate allocation, driven by questionable insertions, raises serious concerns about the ministry’s capacity to effectively manage and execute these projects, potentially leading to widespread waste and inefficiency in a sector critical for national survival.

Ministry of Science and Technology: Innovation Drowned in Insertions

The Ministry of Science and Technology, a vital engine for national progress and innovation, also found itself burdened by substantial, unexplained allocations. BudgIT reported that this ministry “saw bloated allocations of N994.98 billion… from insertions alone.” This significant sum, added without transparent justification, undermines the very essence of scientific and technological advancement, suggesting that funds intended for research and development may instead be siphoned off through dubious projects.

Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning: Undermining Fiscal Prudence

Even the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, ostensibly responsible for fiscal prudence and national planning, was not spared. BudgIT’s investigation revealed that this ministry also “saw bloated allocations of N1.1 trillion, respectively, from insertions alone.”

The fact that the very ministry tasked with overseeing the budget process has been compromised by such massive, unexplained insertions is a profound indictment of the system’s vulnerability to manipulation. This raises serious questions about the integrity of the planning process itself and the commitment to evidence-based economic development.

Agencies as Dumping Grounds: The Case of Federal Cooperative College, Oji River

Beyond direct ministerial insertions, BudgIT highlighted a particularly insidious tactic: the misuse of specific agencies as “dumping grounds for politically motivated projects.” The Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (Lagos) and the Federal Cooperative College, Oji River, were cited as prime examples. BudgIT underscored that “These agencies lack the technical capacity to execute such projects, leading to rampant underperformance and waste.”

A stark illustration of this anomaly is the Federal Cooperative College, Oji River—a training institution—which was inexplicably “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 streetlights in Enugu State.”

Such projects are entirely outside the statutory functions of a cooperative training college, demonstrating a deliberate attempt to channel funds through institutions ill-equipped to manage them, thereby facilitating corruption and ensuring zero value addition to national development.

The Presidency’s Troubling Silence and Call for Action

Despite BudgIT’s diligent efforts to bring these issues to light, including a “The Budget is a Mess” campaign in late 2024 and formal letters to the Presidency, the Budget Office, and the National Assembly, the response has been a deafening silence.

“While these letters were acknowledged, no response was received from any of the institutions, and not a single institution has taken responsibility for the anomalies,” BudgIT lamented. The organization found the “silence from the Presidency—silence which, in the face of overwhelming evidence, amounts to complicity” particularly concerning.

Gabriel Okeowo, BudgIT’s Country Director, said; “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.”

In light of these grave findings, BudgIT has issued a strong call to action. They urge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu 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.”

Furthermore, they implore 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 organization also calls on anti-corruption agencies like the EFCC and ICPC to “take action to track these projects and ensure Nigeria gets value for money.”

“The 2025 Budget must serve the interests of the Nigerian people, not a privileged few,” BudgIt said.