Nigeria’s proposed 2026 budget has drawn fresh criticism after civic monitoring group Tracka found that spending on luxury vehicles and empowerment programmes totals nearly ₦963 billion — more than the Federal Government plans to spend on seven key ministries combined.
Tracka’s review found ₦15.13 billion for 39 Sport Utility Vehicles and ₦947.7 billion for 2,579 empowerment projects, exceeding the ₦960.27 billion allocated to the ministries of Industry, Housing, Women Affairs, Justice, Livestock Development, Aviation and Petroleum.
The group flagged a serious transparency gap: only 70 of the 2,579 projects have a specified location, making it most difficult to track. The projects span 184 agencies, many with no clear empowerment mandate.
With the 2026 deficit projected at roughly 46%, financed largely through borrowing, Tracka warned that poorly structured empowerment schemes risk becoming tools of political patronage rather than measurable public benefit.
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