EXPOSED: The Conflicting Figures of 2026 Federal Budget

Conflicting figures have been noticed in the proposed federal government budget for 2026.

On December 19, President Bola Tinubu presented the 2026 budget of N58.18 trillion to the national assembly.

He highlighted the key aggregates to include: expected total revenue of N34.33 trillion, projected total expenditure of N58.18 trillion, recurrent (non-debt) expenditure of N15.25 trillion, and capital expenditure of N26.08 trillion.

According to the president, the budget is expected to be funded with revenue of N34.33 trillion, leaving a budget deficit of N23.85 trillion (4.28 percent of gross domestic product).

Following Tinubu’s national assembly engagement, a major stakeholder in the civic tech space reported a different amount.

BudgIT, a civic tech non-profit organisation, cited N58.47 trillion as the proposed 2026 budget.

According to the organisation, the appropriation bill includes capital expenditure of N25.68 trillion, debt servicing of N15.52 trillion, personnel costs of N10.75 trillion, statutory transfers of N4.1 trillion, and overhead costs of N2.22 trillion.

Checks showed that this amounted to N58.27 trillion, as against the total of N58.47 trillion presented by BudgIT.

Earlier on December 19, the federal executive council (FEC) approved the 2026 appropriation budget, with aggregate expenditure projected at N58.47 trillion.

The discrepancies may create uncertainty about Nigeria’s exact spending plan for 2026 and raise questions about the country’s budgeting processes.