Nigeria 2026 budget allocates N962 bn to SUVs and empowerment projects

Civic technology organisation Tracka, an initiative of BudgIT, examined the 2026 Nigerian Federal Government Appropriation Bill and highlighted an allocation of N962.83 billion for 39 sport‑utility vehicles (N15.13 bn) and 2,579 empowerment projects (N947.70 bn). This sum exceeds the combined budget of seven key ministries, which together receive N960.27 bn.

Tracka noted that only 70 of the empowerment projects have clearly identified implementation locations, raising questions about transparency and oversight. The projects are spread across 184 implementing agencies, many of which lack statutory mandates for such programmes. The largest single allocations include the Federal Cooperative College, Oji River (393 projects worth N127.1 bn), the National Agricultural Development Fund (6 projects worth N89.5 bn), the Federal College of Horticulture, Dadin‑Kowa (216 projects worth N88.1 bn) and the Federal College of Education (Technical), Bichi (94 projects worth N36.9 bn). Tracka warned that poorly defined and inadequately monitored initiatives could become avenues for wasteful spending and political patronage amid a fiscal deficit that will rely heavily on domestic and external borrowing.