In a recent appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme, Seun Onigbinde, the co-founder of civic group Budgit, echoed statements made by Senator Abdul Ningi regarding the lack of detailed project allocations within Nigeria’s 2024 Appropriation Act.
Onigbinde affirmed Ningi’s assertion that there was a lack of clarity in the allocation of approximately N3.7 trillion out of the N28.78 trillion budget. However, he refuted the claim that Nigeria was operating two separate budgets concurrently.
“While Senator Ningi is correct in highlighting the need for a detailed breakdown of the budget, it is not accurate to suggest that we are running two parallel budgets,” Onigbinde stated during the interview.
Ningi, who resigned as Chairman of the Northern Senators’ Forum after being suspended by his colleagues over budget padding allegations, raised concerns about the lack of transparency in budget allocations.
Budgit, known for its commitment to transparency and accountability, conducted a fact-check during the Senate’s rowdy session and found discrepancies in Ningi’s claims. According to Onigbinde, the team was unable to identify the missing N3.7 trillion within the budget.
Clarifying the budget structure, Onigbinde explained that the 2024 Appropriation Act, signed into law by President Bola Tinubu, included approximately N9 trillion allocated for capital projects. He emphasized the distinction between the budgets for Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) and government-owned enterprises.
“On one hand, there is the MDA budget of around N25 trillion, and on the other hand, there is the government-owned enterprises budget of approximately N2 trillion,” Onigbinde clarified. “While it is true that there are components of the budget lacking detailed breakdowns, it does not imply the existence of two separate budgets.”
Highlighting areas of concern, Onigbinde pointed out the lack of transparency in allocations to entities such as TETFUND and INEC. He stressed the importance of providing detailed information to the public regarding the utilization of allocated funds.
“In the current budget, there is a lack of granular-level breakdowns that everyone can understand,” Onigbinde emphasized. “These transparency issues encompass approximately N3.5 trillion to N3.7 trillion of the budget.”
As discussions surrounding budget transparency continue, stakeholders are urged to prioritize accountability and ensure that allocated funds are utilized efficiently for national development.
