2025 Budget Fraud: BudgIT Uncovers N6.93 Trillion Questionable Projects

A civic organization BudgIT Nigeria, has leveled serious allegations against the National Assembly, accusing them of inserting 11,122 projects worth a staggering N6.93 trillion into the 2025 federal budget without justification. This revelation has sparked concerns about fiscal responsibility, transparency, and accountability in Nigeria’s budgeting process.

According to BudgIT’s analysis, the National Assembly inserted these projects into the budget with little to no justification, raising questions about the legislative body’s role in budgeting and appropriation. A significant portion of these projects appears to be politically motivated and lacks alignment with national development priorities.

Some of the most glaring anomalies include 1,477 streetlight projects worth N393.29 billion, 538 borehole projects totaling N114.53 billion, and 2,122 ICT projects valued at N505.79 billion. Additionally, N6.74 billion was earmarked for “empowerment of traditional rulers,” further fueling concerns about the National Assembly’s intentions.

BudgIT’s investigation also revealed that 238 projects valued above N5 billion each, with a cumulative value of N2.29 trillion, were inserted with little to no justification. Furthermore, 984 projects worth N1.71 trillion and 1,119 projects worth N641.38 billion were indiscriminately inserted into the budget.

The organization’s findings also show that 39% of all insertions—4,371 projects worth N1.72 trillion—were forced into the Ministry of Agriculture’s budget, inflating its capital allocation from N242.5 billion to N1.95 trillion. The Ministries of Science and Technology and Education also saw bloated allocations of N994.98 billion and N1.1 trillion, respectively, from insertions alone.

BudgIT has called on President Bola Tinubu to exercise stronger executive leadership and reform the budgeting process to ensure alignment with national priorities. The organization also urges the Attorney General of the Federation to seek a constitutional interpretation of the National Assembly’s appropriation powers and for anticorruption agencies to track these projects and ensure value for money.

The group further implores citizens, the media, civil society organizations, and the development community to speak out and demand reform, emphasizing that this issue is not merely about financial mismanagement but a matter of justice, equity, and the future of accountable governance in Nigeria.