The Federal Government has earmarked nearly N1 trillion for the procurement of Sport Utility Vehicles and various empowerment projects in the 2026 Appropriation Act, an allocation civic technology group, Tracka, says exceeds combined funding for seven key federal ministries, CDA News Nigeria reports.
According to Tracka’s analysis, the allocation comprised N15.13bn for the procurement of 39 SUVs and N947.70bn for 2,579 empowerment projects, bringing the total to N962.83bn.
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The organisation noted that this sum surpassed the combined N960.27bn 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.
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Tracka further raised concerns over the transparency of such projects, warning that poorly defined empowerment schemes have historically become vehicles for political patronage, rewarding loyalists rather than delivering broad-based benefits to citizens.
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The group also linked its worries to Nigeria’s fiscal outlook, noting that the 2026 budget is projected to be financed with a deficit of about 46 per cent, at a time when the government continues to rely heavily on borrowing.
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Reacting to the development, former Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, criticised the allocation, questioning how empowerment projects alone could swallow more resources than ministries responsible for building the foundation of a nation.
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Dalung maintained that while Nigerians genuinely need support, the scale of the allocation raises questions about priorities, especially as citizens are being urged to make sacrifices amid economic hardship.
The Federal Government is yet to respond publicly to the criticisms trailing the budget breakdown.
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