Nigeria's Budget Spending Lacks Impact on Citizens' Lives

The Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership has issued a warning regarding Nigeria's public finance system, stating it is proficient at tracking government expenditure but inadequate at assessing the impact of this spending on citizens' lives. This warning is part of the Athena Policy Pulse report titled "Beyond Transparency: Building Results Accountability in Nigeria’s Public Finance System," authored by Izuchukwu Anyanwu and Chinaza Igwe.

The report highlights that Nigeria's 2026 Federal Budget is set at N27.5 trillion, with 41.6% of federally retained revenue allocated to debt servicing in 2025. Despite significant allocations—over N5.9 trillion for health, N7.4 trillion for education, more than N10 trillion for infrastructure, and approximately N5.8 trillion for defense and security—there has been no consistent improvement in healthcare access, educational outcomes, transport efficiency, or security.

The report identifies institutional weaknesses in the budgeting process and calls for reforms, including the publication of a results annex with the Appropriation Bill and enhanced value-for-money audits.