Federal Government Says 2026 Budget Will Drive Security, Infrastructure, Jobs

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the Federal Government’s proposed 2026 budget was intended to consolidate the achievements of President Bola Tinubu’s ongoing reform agenda, which he noted was already producing positive outcomes.

Idris made this assertion in an op-ed titled “A Defining Moment for Nigeria: Why Staying the Course Matters,” published in national newspapers on Monday and later highlighted in a statement by his media aide, Rabiu Ibrahim.

Recall that President Tinubu had presented the N58.18 trillion 2026 Appropriation Bill to a joint session of the National Assembly on December 19, 2025. The budget, themed ‘Budget of Consolidation, Renewed Resilience and Shared Prosperity’, prioritises key sectors of the economy, with N5.41 trillion allocated to defence and security, N3.56 trillion to infrastructure, N3.52 trillion to education, and N2.48 trillion to health.

Breakdowns of the proposal showed N26.08 trillion earmarked for capital expenditure, N15.25 trillion for recurrent (non-debt) spending, and N15.52 trillion for debt servicing.

During the budget presentation, the President pledged that 2026 would usher in stricter fiscal discipline and a stronger focus on measurable outcomes. He also announced the discontinuation of the long-standing practice of running multiple and overlapping budgets, stressing that abandoned projects, inherited liabilities, and perpetual rollovers would no longer be tolerated.

According to the minister, early signs of progress were already visible, including increased business activity, improved investor confidence, moderating inflation, and stronger external reserves. He emphasised that the figures in the budget were not merely projections but a foundation for tangible improvements in the lives of Nigerians.

He highlighted several social and economic initiatives designed to improve livelihoods, such as the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNG-i) aimed at reducing transport costs, and youth-focused programmes including the Labour Employment and Empowerment Programme, the Jubilee Fellows Programme, and the 3 Million Technical Talent initiative.

While acknowledging growing public fatigue, the minister urged Nigerians to remain engaged, safeguard public infrastructure, and resist misinformation, stressing that sustained cooperation is essential for the reforms to deliver lasting benefits.