₦962 Billion and the Politics of Asking the Poor to Wait
There is something deeply troubling about a government asking Nigerians to endure pain, hunger, and economic hardship in the name of “necessary sacrifices” while the same government presides over a budget where nearly ₦1 trillion is tied to questionable priorities.
A review of the 2026 Federal Government Budget shows that ₦947.7 billion has been allocated to 2,579 empowerment projects, alongside ₦15.13 billion for 39 SUVs — bringing the total to ₦962.83 billion.
That amount is more than the combined budgets of seven critical ministries responsible for Industry, Housing, Women Affairs, Justice, Livestock, Aviation and Petroleum Resources.
This is the uncomfortable question Nigerians must ask:
How did we get to a point where “empowerment projects” alone can swallow more resources than ministries responsible for building the foundation of a nation?
The problem is not empowerment. Nigerians need support. Our young people need opportunities. Our vulnerable citizens need intervention.
The problem is a system where billions can be inserted into thousands of vaguely defined projects, many without clear locations, transparent beneficiaries, or measurable outcomes.
Because when citizens cannot see where the money is going, they are left to wonder whether these programmes are truly designed to empower the poor or simply to empower the politically connected.
A government cannot preach sacrifice to struggling families while maintaining a culture of unexplained spending at the top.
The market woman battling inflation, the farmer struggling with rising costs, the young graduate searching for employment, and the worker whose salary has lost its value are not asking for miracles.
They are asking one simple question:
“If we must suffer today for tomorrow’s promise, who is enjoying today with our commonwealth?”
Nigeria does not lack resources. We lack a political culture that places accountability above convenience and public interest above political patronage.
A budget is a moral document. It reveals who matters.
And Nigerians deserve to know: who exactly are these billions empowering?
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