A new report by BudgIT has revealed that Nigerian lawmakers have inserted over 11,000 projects worth N6.93 trillion into the 2025 national budget, in what the organisation describes as a shocking abuse of the budgetary process. The civic technology group, known for its advocacy for transparency and accountability in public finance, warns that the scale and nature of the insertions suggest that the National Assembly has turned the budget into a political slush fund.
According to BudgIT’s analysis, 238 projects, each valued above N5 billion and totalling N2.29 trillion, were included without clear justification. These high-value insertions raise serious questions about their necessity, feasibility, and alignment with Nigeria’s development goals.
Additionally, the report highlights that 984 projects worth N1.71 trillion, along with 1,119 projects valued between N500 million and N1 billion—totalling N641.38 billion—were arbitrarily added, deepening concerns that the 2025 budget is being manipulated for political patronage rather than public interest. “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,” said Gabriel Okeowo, BudgIT’s Country Director.
“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.” BudgIT’s report uncovers how thousands of projects were assigned to specific regions and lawmakers.
A total of 3,573 projects worth N653.19 billion were linked to federal constituencies, while 1,972 projects valued at N444.04 billion were allocated to senatorial districts. Among the most striking anomalies are 1,477 streetlight projects worth N393.29 billion, 538 borehole projects totalling N114.53 billion, and 2,122 ICT projects valued at N505.79 billion.
A further N6.74 billion was set aside for the “empowerment of traditional rulers.” In a particularly troubling finding, 39 percent of the inserted projects—4,371 in total—were crammed into the Ministry of Agriculture’s budget. This pushed its capital allocation from N242.5 billion to a staggering N1.95 trillion, grossly inflating its spending capacity without a clear plan.
Other ministries, including Science and Technology and Budget and Economic Planning, also saw their allocations balloon to N994.98 billion and N1.1 trillion, respectively. The report exposes the misuse of federal agencies to funnel unrelated projects. For instance, the Federal Cooperative College in Oji River was saddled with N3 billion for utility vehicles, N1.5 billion for rural electrification in Rivers State, and N1 billion for solar streetlights in Enugu State—projects far outside its educational mandate.
Despite formally reaching out to the Presidency, the Budget Office, and the National Assembly through its “The Budget is a Mess” campaign, BudgIT reports that none of the institutions have responded or taken responsibility. The silence from the Presidency is particularly concerning, given the scale of the budget distortions.
BudgIT has called on President Bola Tinubu to take decisive action by restoring transparency and discipline in the budget process. The organisation also urges the Attorney General to seek constitutional interpretation of the National Assembly’s authority to insert capital projects without Executive consent. Furthermore, it calls on the EFCC and ICPC to investigate the massive project insertions and hold accountable those responsible.
The group is appealing to Nigerian citizens, civil society, the media, and development partners to demand urgent reforms, warning that without accountability, the national budget will remain a tool for political enrichment rather than a blueprint for national progress
