THE Ministry of Budget and National Planning included projects that are within the purview of Ministries of Health, Water Resources, Education and Power in its 2026 budget.
According to the 2026 spending plan seen by Economy Post, the Atiku Bagudu-led ministry will spend N105 million this year on the purchase and installatio of 500 KVA transformers to selected places in Ibarapa Central/ Ibarapa North Federal Constituency, Oyo State.
The ministry is also spending another N105 million on the replacement and installation of power poles for Ibarapa Central/Ibarapa North Federal Constiteuncy in Oyo State. This, ordinarily, should have been the responsibility of the Ministry of Power.
The ministry will also spend N2.275 million on the supply and distribution of books for Okenalogho Secondary Technical School, Community Primary School Umuokeh and Progressive Primary School in Umusochie – all in Obowo Local Government Area of Imo State. This is the responsibility of the Ministry of Education.
Also, the Ministry of Budget intends to spend N91 million in 2026 to enable people in 774 local government areas to access clean and potable water. Surprisingly, this ministry also repeats this line item and inserted a different amount – N70 million – as budget for the item. This role, ordinarily, should be performed by the Ministry of Water Resources.
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More so, the Ministry of Budget will spend N17.5 million on the sensitisation workshop in 6 geopolitical zones. This generic categorisation puts the job at the doorstep of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), not the Ministry of Budget. The ministry is also spending N7 million on nutrition research, which should be the role of the Ministry of Agricullture and Food Security or the Ministry of Health.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Budget will expend N175 million on the ‘Implementation of Farm 2 Feed Naija Initiative,’ which should be within the purview of the Ministry of Agricullture and Food Security.
Likely explanation
Text messages sent to a spokesman of the ministry was not replied to, but financial experts say the line items might have been planted from outside the ministry, noting that politicians often do that to curry favour among each other.
“Politicians or civil servants sometimes ‘import’ line items to favour their peers or friends who are senators or House of Representatives members. It doesn’t matter the purview of the ministry; what matters is that you must do them that favour by inserting ther programmes in your own budget,” said a budget analyst, Mr Chido Izunna.
Mr Izunna lamented that the objective of individuals involved in the act was not to align the budget with national aspirations but to favour friends and enable them win second or third terms and remain in power for a long time.
“Some do it for governors too,” he added.
In the 2024 budget, the zone of Nigeria’s Senate President, Mr Godswill Akpabio, got 21 out of 118 projects by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
The projects included the rehabilitation of rural farm roads in Ikono and Abak as well as those in 2 local government areas in Akwa Ibom North West. The line items should have been moved to the Ministry of Works, not the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
The budget also contained the construction of Essien & Etim Ekpo rural farm roads at the same cost of N1 billion.
The same projects were repeated at Ika, Ikot Ekpene, Ini, Obot, Orun Anam and Ukanafun, all in Akwa Ibom North West zone. These roads cost N3 billion.
Similarly, there were fabrication and lightening of all rural farm roads “with all in one standard solar street light” at Ikono, Abak, Essien, Etim Ekpo, Ika, Ikot Ekpene, Ini, Obot, Orun Anam, and Ukanafun at the cost of N2.5 billion. These, again, should have been the responsibility of the Ministry of Works.
