A Sallah Conversation Worth Having

In the pursuit of a better nation, our power lies in asking the questions that demand answers and holding those in power accountable. Transparency is not just a goal; it's our collective responsibility.

Opeyemi Adamolekun
(Executive Director, EiE Nigeria)

Dear Active Citizen,

The federal government's 2025 budget has sparked legitimate concerns about transparency and fiscal responsibility. First, the federal government has not published a detailed revenue breakdown. That’s not just a missed step,  it’s a red flag. How do you spend trillions of naira without telling the people where the money is coming from?

More troubling is the National Assembly's addition of ₦6.93 trillion in budget insertions. These are projects and allocations that appear in the final budget without clear justification or public scrutiny. The scale of these insertions has grown dramatically from ₦913 billion in 2021 to nearly ₦7 trillion today.

Consider the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation. Their original proposal requested ₦24 billion. The final allocation stands at ₦291 billion. The Ministry of Agriculture saw its budget expand from ₦242 billion to ₦1.9 trillion, an increase of ₦1.7 trillion that lacks adequate explanation. Perhaps most striking is the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria receiving ₦1.05 billion to construct a link bridge in Ebonyi State. This allocation raises questions about mandate alignment and resource distribution priorities.

As we celebrate this Sallah period with family and friends, let's make our conversations count. Ask your elected representatives at the National Assembly why does an advertising agency need ₦1 billion for a bridge? And ask yourself “if I managed my household budget like this”, would my family survive? Find their contact information at www.shineyoureye.org.

This Sallah, let's feast on good food and hard questions.

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Have a great weekend!
The EiE Nigeria Team.