Outrage As BudgIT Accuses Lawmakers Of ‘Padding’ 2025 Budget With N6.9trn Projects

In a startling revelation, BudgIT, a civic-tech organisation committed to budget transparency and accountability, has accused the National Assembly members of inserting N6.93 trillion worth of projects into the 2025 national budget without adequate justification or alignment with national priorities.

The findings, detailed in an 18-page report released on Tuesday, indicated that federal lawmakers added 11,122 projects representing 12.5% of the N54.99 trillion signed budget without proper vetting or adherence to developmental goals.

The 2025 budget, initially presented by President Bola Tinubu in December 2024 at N49.7 trillion, was tagged the “Budget of Restoration: Securing Peace, Rebuilding Prosperity.” It aimed to stabilise the economy, reduce poverty, spur growth, and enhance national security. By February 2025, the president revised the budget upward to N54.2 trillion, citing improved revenue from key federal agencies such as the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), and other government-owned enterprises (GOEs).

President Tinubu signed the final N54.99 trillion budget into law on February 28.

However, BudgIT’s analysis suggested a significant portion of the increase was driven by arbitrary legislative insertions. The report highlighted 238 projects, each valued above N5 billion, collectively totalling N2.29 trillion. Additionally, 984 projects worth N1.71 trillion and 1,119 projects ranging from N500 million to N1 billion (totalling N641.38 billion) were also inserted without justification.

According to the reports, major insertions included 3,573 constituency projects amounting to N653.19 billion, 1,972 senatorial district projects worth N444.04 billion and 1,477 streetlight installations costing N393.29 billion

Other insertions were 538 borehole projects at N114.53 billion, 2,122 ICT projects estimated at N505.79 billion and N6.74 billion allocated for the “empowerment of traditional rulers”

“These projects often lack clear links to national development objectives,” the report noted, raising red flags about transparency and accountability in public spending.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security witnessed the most dramatic capital budget increase, from an initial N242.5 billion to N1.95 trillion following the insertion of 4,371 projects valued at N1.72 trillion. This single ministry accounted for 39% of all legislative insertions.

Similarly, the Ministry of Science and Technology received N994.98 billion, while the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning’s allocation rose to N1.1 trillion.

BudgIT also flagged several Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) for handling projects outside their legal scope. For example, the National Centre for Agricultural Mechanisation (NCAM), Ilorin, Kwara State, was assigned N400 million for scholarships and N350 million for a community health insurance scheme in Bayelsa West activities far removed from its mandate.

The report, however, urged President Tinubu to take decisive steps toward budgetary reforms to restore integrity and public confidence.

“These discrepancies underscore the urgent need for budgetary reform anchored in data transparency, independent verification of project costs, and a standardised mechanism for tracking the implementation and impact of constituency projects,” BudgIT said.

The civic-tech group warned that without such reforms, the budget process would remain vulnerable to political manipulation, diverting public funds from developmental priorities.

Allegations of budget padding have been a recurring issue in Nigeria. From former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s 2000 rejection of an inflated appropriation bill to multiple insertions under the Buhari administration, lawmakers have long faced accusations of inserting opaque and unjustified projects into the nation’s fiscal plan.

Recall that in 2024, Senator Abdul Ningi of Bauchi Central alleged that the budget had been padded by N3.7 trillion, a claim that led to his suspension by the Senate but sparked national debate.

Reacting to BudgIT’s latest findings, the Senate has strongly denied any wrongdoing. Senate spokesperson, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, dismissed the report, calling it “the handiwork of dark angels of falsehood.”

“The 2025 Appropriation Bill was presented by the executive and was interrogated and passed based on the exact amount presented,” Adaramodu said. “The dark angels of falsehood and public discord are only interested in stirring disaffection against the National Assembly.”

As of press time, the House of Representatives was yet to issue a response to the report.

Despite denials, BudgIT maintained that the reported figures reflect a dangerous pattern of financial opacity, urging a more structured and transparent framework for including constituency projects that align with Nigeria’s development goals.