The Federal Government has earmarked N962.83 billion for the procurement of sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and empowerment projects in the 2026 Appropriation Act, an amount that exceeds the combined allocations to seven federal ministries, according to an analysis by civic technology organisation Tracka.
In its review of the 2026 Federal Government budget, Tracka said the allocation comprises N15.13 billion for the procurement of 39 SUVs and N947.70 billion for 2,579 empowerment projects.
The organisation noted that the total exceeds the combined N960.27 billion 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 Tracka, the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment was allocated N156.8 billion, Housing and Urban Development N145.3 billion, Women Affairs N169.39 billion, Justice N150.7 billion, Livestock Development N177.6 billion, Aviation and Aerospace Development N87.3 billion, while Petroleum Resources received N73.1 billion.
Tracka expressed concern over what it described as limited transparency surrounding many of the empowerment projects.
“Only 70 of the 2,579 empowerment projects have clearly identified implementation locations,” the organisation said.
It argued that the omission raised significant accountability concerns, questioning how citizens and oversight institutions could monitor projects without specified locations or identify their intended beneficiaries.
Tracka also noted that the projects were distributed across 184 implementing agencies, including several institutions whose statutory responsibilities do not ordinarily include the delivery of empowerment programmes.
According to its findings, the Federal Cooperative College, Oji River, was assigned 393 projects worth N127.1 billion, while the National Agricultural Development Fund received six projects valued at N89.5 billion. The Federal College of Horticulture, Dadin-Kowa, Gombe State, was allocated 216 projects worth N88.1 billion, while the Federal Cooperative College, Ibadan, was assigned 94 projects valued at N36.9 billion.
The organisation’s review showed that the single largest empowerment allocation was N89.09 billion for the Renewed Hope Fertiliser Support Programme under the National Agricultural Development Fund.
Other major allocations include N14 billion for the procurement and distribution of economic empowerment equipment and utility vehicles through the Federal Cooperative College, Oji River, N14 billion for youth empowerment programmes under the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, and another N14 billion for youth empowerment and medical outreach under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
The budget also provides for the procurement of buses, tricycles, motorcycles, electric vehicles, sewing machines, fertilisers, vocational equipment, grants and other empowerment items across various agencies and regions.
While acknowledging that empowerment initiatives can improve livelihoods when properly designed, Tracka warned that poorly structured programmes had historically become channels for political patronage.
The organisation also linked its concerns to the country’s fiscal position, noting that the 2026 budget is projected to be financed with a deficit of about 46 per cent.
“At a time when government is borrowing heavily to fund public expenditure, every naira should be directed towards investments with clear development outcomes, measurable impact and value for money,” it said.
Tracka called for greater transparency in future budget preparation and implementation, urging the government to ensure that every budget item has a clearly defined purpose, location, implementing agency, identifiable beneficiaries and measurable outcomes.
The concerns come amid an expansion of the Federal Government’s borrowing plans for 2026. The government has projected debt financing of N29.20 trillion, up from the earlier estimate of N17.89 trillion contained in the 2026 Abridged Budget Call Circular issued by the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning.
The revised budget projects total expenditure of N68.32 trillion against expected revenue of N36.87 trillion, leaving a fiscal deficit of N31.46 trillion.
According to figures from the Debt Management Office, the Federal Government also raised N5.08 trillion from the domestic bond market during the first half of 2026, representing a 77.8 per cent increase over the N2.86 trillion raised during the corresponding period in 2025.
Meanwhile, former Vice-President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar questioned what he described as an estimated N7.98 trillion oil revenue windfall, asking why the government continued to increase domestic borrowing despite crude oil prices exceeding the 2026 budget benchmark.
In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku called on the Federal Government to provide a full account of revenues generated from higher international oil prices.
“Nigerians deserve a full accounting of this windfall. Where has the money gone? Why is there no transparent disclosure of the proceeds from excess crude sales? Why is government borrowing heavily when oil revenues are significantly above budget projections?” the statement said.
Former APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary Timi Frank also called for greater transparency and stronger oversight of public spending, saying recent controversy surrounding the 2026 budget had heightened concerns about accountability and the management of public resources.
Economists also questioned the spending priorities reflected in the budget.
Professor of Economics at Olabisi Onabanjo University, Sheriffdeen Tella, said empowerment programmes should prioritise locally manufactured goods to maximise their impact on the domestic economy.
“Any empowerment should be based on what we produce here. Spending empowerment money to import things simply means that the money is not here and cannot have much positive impact on our economy,” he said.
A Lagos-based economist, Adewale Abimbola, argued that allocating nearly N1 trillion to SUVs and empowerment programmes while relying heavily on borrowing reflected weak fiscal prioritisation.
While acknowledging the importance of targeted empowerment initiatives, he said infrastructure and human capital development offered greater prospects for sustainable economic growth.
He also called for stronger accountability measures to ensure such programmes reached genuinely vulnerable Nigerians and were implemented transparently.
