The Federal Government has earmarked ₦962.83bn for the procurement of Sport Utility Vehicles and empowerment projects in the 2026 Appropriation Act, an amount that exceeds the combined allocations to seven key federal ministries, according to a review of the Budget by civic technology organisation, Tracka.
In its analysis of the 2026 Federal Government budget, Tracka said the allocation comprised ₦15.13bn for the procurement of 39 SUVs and ₦947.70bn for 2,579 empowerment projects, bringing the total to ₦962.83bn.
The civic organisation noted that the amount surpassed the combined N960.27bn appropriated to the Federal Ministries of Industry, Trade and Investment; Housing and Urban Development; Women Affairs; Justice; Livestock Development; Aviation and Aerospace Development; and Petroleum Resources.
According to the group, the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment received ₦156.8bn in the 2026 budget, Housing ₦145.3bn, Women Affairs N169.39bn, Justice ₦150.7bn, Livestock Development ₦177.6bn, Aviation and Aerospace Development N87.3bn, while Petroleum Resources was allocated ₦73.1bn.
Tracka expressed concern over what it described as a lack of transparency surrounding many of the empowerment projects. It stated, “Yet, only 70 of the 2,579 empowerment projects have clearly identified implementation locations”. The organisation argued that the omission raised fundamental accountability questions regarding project implementation and oversight. It asked, “How can citizens track projects with no stated location? How can oversight institutions verify implementation? How can taxpayers know who ultimately benefits from these allocations?”
Beyond the absence of project locations, Tracka said the projects were spread across 184 implementing agencies, including several institutions whose statutory mandates do not ordinarily cover empowerment programmes. According to its findings, the Federal Cooperative College, Oji River, was assigned 393 projects worth ₦127.1bn, while the National Agricultural Development Fund was allocated six projects valued at ₦89.5bn. The Federal College of Horticulture, Dadin-Kowa, Gombe, received 216 projects worth ₦88.1bn, while the Federal Cooperative College, Ibadan, was assigned 94 projects valued at ₦36.9bn.
A review of the Budget document based on Tracka’s analysis shows that the largest single empowerment allocation was ₦89.09bn for the Renewed Hope Fertiliser Support Programme under the National Agricultural Development Fund. Other high-value allocations include ₦14bn for the procurement and distribution of economic empowerment equipment and utility vehicles through the Federal Cooperative College, Oji River, ₦14bn for youth empowerment programmes under the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, and another ₦14bn for youth empowerment and medical outreach under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
The document also contains numerous allocations for the procurement of buses, tricycles, motorcycles, electric vehicles, sewing machines, fertilisers, vocational equipment, grants and other empowerment items across different agencies and regions.
While stressing that empowerment initiatives are not inherently problematic, Tracka said they could produce meaningful social and economic benefits if properly designed and transparently implemented. However, it warned that experience had shown that many poorly designed programmes had become channels for political patronage.
Tracka also linked its concerns to the Federal Government’s fiscal position, noting that the 2026 Budget is expected to be financed largely through borrowing. It said, “This concern is even more pressing given that the 2026 Budget is projected to be financed with a deficit of about 46 percent. At a time when government is borrowing heavily to fund public expenditure, every naira should be directed toward investments with clear development outcomes, measurable impact, and value for money, not opaque allocations that citizens cannot effectively track.”
The organisation further called for greater transparency in future budget preparation and implementation. According to Tracka, “A budget should not only allocate resources, it should also inspire public confidence. Every budget item should have a clear purpose, a defined location, an implementing agency with the legal mandate to deliver it, identifiable beneficiaries, and measurable outcomes.”
Recall that the Federal Government increased its borrowing plan for 2026 to ₦29.20tr, following an expansion in the proposed budget size. The figure was an increase of ₦11.31tr when compared with the earlier ₦17.89tr borrowing projection contained in the 2026 Abridged Budget Call Circular issued by the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning. Published findings showed that total debt financing for 2026 is now put at ₦29.2tr, reflecting a sharp upward revision as expenditure rises significantly beyond earlier projections. The expansion is driven by a widening fiscal deficit, with total spending estimated at N68.32tn and aggregate revenues projected at ₦36.87tr, leaving a deficit of ₦31.46tr.
Recall also that the Federal Government raised ₦5.08tn from the domestic bond market in the first six months of 2026, marking a 77.8 percent increase from the ₦2.86tn raised during the corresponding period of 2025, according to an analysis of Debt Management Office auction results.
Experts warn that Nigeria must be cautious not to destroy the fragile stability achieved in recent months, saying high deficits and rising debt levels pose a serious threat.
