Nigerian officials urge media to strengthen budget oversight

Nigerian government officials have called for enhanced media scrutiny and professional standards regarding the national budget during a Senate Press Corps capacity-building workshop in Abuja.

Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu, urged journalists to move beyond identifying controversial provisions and instead investigate the constitutional processes and development rationales behind budgetary choices. He emphasized that understanding the fiscal constraints and the government’s long-term development goals, such as the Renewed Hope Agenda and Agenda 2050, is essential for informed public discourse.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio also addressed the media, charging parliamentary reporters to uphold high standards of accuracy, depth, and professionalism. He stressed that journalists must understand legislative rules and the Constitution to provide balanced reportage that serves the public interest. The workshop aimed to strengthen collaboration between the legislature and the media to safeguard the budget from unlawful insertions, a concern highlighted by the Senate Press Corps following reports of questionable allocations.