Tracka Questions N962.83bn SUV, Empowerment Budget

The Federal Government has allocated N962.83bn for SUV procurement and empowerment projects in the 2026 budget, despite plans to finance a large share of public spending through borrowing, according to civic technology organisation Tracka.

In its review of the 2026 Appropriation Act, Tracka said the allocation includes N15.13bn for the purchase of 39 Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) and N947.70bn for 2,579 empowerment projects. The organisation noted that this combined figure exceeds the N960.27bn allocated to seven federal ministries, including Industry, Trade and Investment, Housing and Urban Development, Women Affairs, Justice, Livestock Development, Aviation and Aerospace Development, and Petroleum Resources. The scale of the 2026 budget allocation, it said, raises important questions about spending priorities.

Tracka also expressed concern over the implementation of the empowerment projects, stating that only 70 of the 2,579 empowerment projects have clearly identified locations.

“Yet, only 70 of the 2,579 empowerment projects have clearly identified implementation locations.”

The organisation argued that the lack of project locations makes it difficult for citizens, oversight bodies and taxpayers to monitor implementation or determine who benefits from the allocations. It added that the projects are spread across 184 implementing agencies, including several institutions whose primary responsibilities do not typically include empowerment programmes.

According to the review, the Federal Cooperative College, Oji River, received 393 projects worth N127.1bn, while the National Agricultural Development Fund was assigned six projects valued at N89.5bn. The Federal College of Horticulture, Dadin-Kowa, Gombe, received 216 projects worth N88.1bn, and the Federal Cooperative College, Ibadan, was allocated 94 projects valued at N36.9bn.

Tracka further noted that the largest single allocation is N89.09bn for the Renewed Hope Fertiliser Support Programme under the National Agricultural Development Fund. Other major provisions include N14bn for the procurement and distribution of economic empowerment equipment and utility vehicles through the Federal Cooperative College, Oji River, N14bn for youth empowerment programmes under the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, and another N14bn for youth empowerment and medical outreach under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.

The budget also includes funding for buses, tricycles, motorcycles, electric vehicles, sewing machines, fertilisers, vocational equipment, grants and other empowerment items across various agencies and communities.

While acknowledging that empowerment projects can improve livelihoods and create economic opportunities, Tracka stressed that they must be properly planned and transparently delivered.

“Let us be clear, there is nothing inherently wrong with empowerment programmes! When well-designed and transparently implemented, they can improve livelihoods, create economic opportunities, and support vulnerable Nigerians.”

However, the organisation warned that poorly defined projects often become tools for political patronage instead of serving the wider public. It also linked its concerns to the government’s borrowing plans, noting that the 2026 budget is expected to be financed with a deficit of about 46 per cent. According to Tracka, every budget allocation should have a clear purpose, a defined location, identifiable beneficiaries and measurable outcomes to strengthen transparency and public confidence.

Do you think greater transparency in budget allocations would improve public trust and accountability in government spending?