The Federal Government has earmarked N962.83 billion in the 2026 Appropriation Act for the procurement of Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) and empowerment projects, attracting scrutiny over fiscal priorities as the country plans to finance a significant portion of its budget through borrowing.
According to an analysis by civic technology organisation Tracka, the allocation consists of N15.13 billion for the purchase of 39 SUVs and N947.70 billion for 2,579 empowerment projects.
Tracka said the amount exceeds the combined allocations to seven key federal ministries, including Industry, Trade and Investment; Housing and Urban Development; Women Affairs; Justice; Livestock Development; Aviation and Aerospace Development; and Petroleum Resources.
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The organisation also raised concerns about transparency, noting that only 70 of the 2,579 empowerment projects have clearly identified implementation locations.
It further observed that the projects are distributed across 184 implementing agencies, including institutions whose statutory mandates do not ordinarily cover empowerment programmes.
Among the largest allocations are N89.09 billion for the Renewed Hope Fertiliser Support Programme, N127.1 billion for projects under the Federal Cooperative College, Oji River, and N89.5 billion for projects managed by the National Agricultural Development Fund.
Tracka warned that poorly defined empowerment programmes without clear locations, beneficiaries or accountability mechanisms risk becoming vehicles for political patronage rather than genuine development interventions.
The concerns come as the Federal Government projects a N31.46 trillion fiscal deficit in the 2026 budget and plans to borrow N29.20 trillion to finance part of its expenditure.
Economists have urged the government to prioritise investments that strengthen domestic production, infrastructure and human capital while ensuring that empowerment programmes are transparent, targeted and effectively implemented.
They also called for stronger oversight of budget implementation to improve public confidence in the management of government finances.
