…Jumbo retirement packages for Military Generals
…Charges National Assembly to place national interest above personal considerations
By Newsmata
BudgIT, a leading civic-tech organisation advocating for transparency and accountability in Nigeria, has raised the alarm over the exclusion of funding for critical infrastructure projects like the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road, warning that the absence of such allocations could lead to resource diversions from other essential initiatives, thereby further eroding the budget’s credibility.
BudgIT is also piqued by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s announcement of enhanced retirement packages for military generals, which included luxury perks such as bulletproof SUVs and fully funded foreign medical treatments, which it criticised as contradictory to his earlier promises to reduce governance costs. The organisation expressed worry that they could exacerbate fiscal deficits and demoralise lower-ranking military personnel.
Newsmata reports that these concerns were raised in a statement signed by Nancy Odimegwu, Communications Associate at BudgIT, in which it flagged significant irregularities in the 2025 Federal Government proposed budget.
The group therefore called on the National Assembly to conduct a transparent and inclusive review process, ensuring the budget aligned with national priorities to stimulate economic growth, reduce poverty, and support vulnerable populations.
The statement criticised unrealistic macroeconomic assumptions, particularly the projected inflation rate of 15% for 2025, which it noted contrasted starkly with the 34.6% inflation recorded in November 2024. BudgIT warned that inflationary pressures, driven by rising food and energy costs, lack a clear governmental roadmap for resolution.
Additionally, while the proposed oil price benchmark of $75 per barrel appeared feasible, BudgIT advised against increasing it, a practice that had historically undermined fiscal discipline.
The organisation noted that “Over recent years, BudgIT has consistently highlighted the issue of budgetary insertions by the National Assembly. In 2024 alone, 7,447 projects worth ₦2.24 trillion were added, often without proper planning or alignment with the nation’s developmental agenda”.
It stressed the need for legislators to exercise their constitutional “Powers of the Purse” responsibly, ensuring resource efficiency and avoiding wasteful expenditures.
Transparency lapses in the 2025 budget were also identified, “with omissions of detailed allocations for major government-owned enterprises, including the Nigerian Ports Authority and the Nigeria Customs Service. Additionally, over ₦2.49 trillion allocated to regional development commissions was categorised under personnel costs, raising concerns about accountability and the effective use of these funds”.
BudgIT advised that as the National Assembly prepared to review the proposed budget, the lawmakers needed to place national interest above personal or parochial considerations, emphasising the importance of creating a budget that promotes macroeconomic stability, equitably distributes resources, and addresses the needs of Nigeria’s most vulnerable citizens.
The organisation reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring fiscal responsibility and advocating for a budget that truly reflects the aspirations of Nigerians.