Director of the National Education Summit, Prof. Adams Agahiu, has cautioned the National Assembly against inflating the proposed 2026 budget through the addition of constituency projects.
He warned that repeated upward revisions often undermine effective implementation and public trust.
Agahiu, who spoke with journalists, yesterday, noted that the credibility of the budget is as important as its size, adding that inflating it through constituency projects could weaken the prospects of consolidating reforms, stabilising gains and restoring confidence among the masses.
He, however, commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s proposed N58.18 trillion 2026 budget, describing it as a critical step toward consolidating ongoing economic reforms and restoring public confidence.
He said the proposed budget reflects growing confidence in Nigeria’s revenue recovery prospects, driven by improvements in oil output, tax reforms and stricter fiscal controls, despite prevailing macroeconomic challenges.
According to him, the 2026 appropriation framework represents a milestone in the Tinubu administration’s reform agenda, noting that its assumptions are more conservative and realistic than those of the 2025 budget and an improvement on the 2024 and 2025 fiscal plans.
Agahiu emphasised that security spending occupies a central place in the budget, describing it as the foundation upon which economic recovery, investment and social stability depend.
Besides, he said that allocations for equipment upgrades, logistics, mobility and operational readiness would strengthen the fight against insurgency and other security threats across the country.
“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 further noted that the budget prioritises infrastructure development, with significant investments in roads, rail, power and logistics, which he said are framed as productivity enablers rather than mere welfare expenditures.
