Tinubu's N8.05bn Religious Funding Faces Backlash

The Nigerian government, led by President Bola Tinubu, has allocated N8.05 billion for the construction and renovation of mosques and churches across the country. This decision has sparked controversy, with critics arguing it trivializes pressing socio-economic and security issues.

Former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, expressed concern that while many Nigerians face severe poverty, the government is prioritizing religious projects. An analysis by the public accountability organization Tracka revealed that N1.91 billion is designated for church-related projects and N6.14 billion for mosque-related projects.

Atiku emphasized the need for transparency, stating that public funds should not be allocated to religious institutions without clear identification of the beneficiary churches and mosques. He called on the Tinubu administration to disclose the names of beneficiary institutions, project locations, and the legal basis for these allocations, warning that failure to do so would reinforce perceptions of mismanagement of public resources.