The Director of the National Education Summit, Professor Adams Agahiu, has advised the National Assembly to avoid inflating the proposed national budget through the inclusion of constituency projects.
He cautioned that frequent upward adjustments to the budget often weaken effective implementation and erode public confidence.
Addressing journalists on Monday, Agahiu stressed that the credibility of the budget matters as much as its overall size. He warned that padding the budget with constituency projects could undermine efforts to consolidate reforms, stabilise economic gains and rebuild trust among citizens.
Despite his concerns, Agahiu praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s proposed N58.18 trillion 2026 budget, describing it as a significant move toward strengthening ongoing economic reforms and restoring public confidence, according to TheSun.
He said the proposal reflects renewed optimism about Nigeria’s revenue recovery, attributing this to increased oil production, tax reforms and tighter fiscal discipline, even as broader macroeconomic challenges persist.
According to Agahiu, the 2026 appropriation framework marks an important milestone in the Tinubu administration’s reform programme. He noted that its assumptions are more cautious and realistic than those of the 2025 budget and represent an improvement over the 2024 and 2025 fiscal plans.
He further highlighted security spending as a core component of the budget, describing it as essential to economic recovery, investment growth and social stability.
Agahiu explained that provisions for equipment upgrades, logistics, mobility and operational preparedness would enhance efforts to combat insurgency and other security threats nationwide.
“The funding priorities are also designed to shift Nigeria from reactive policing to intelligence-led, technology-driven security operations, including enhanced surveillance and data integration,” he said.
The professor added that the budget also places strong emphasis on infrastructure development, with substantial investments in roads, rail, power and logistics, which he described as drivers of productivity rather than simple welfare spending.
