The Network for the Actualization of Social Growth and Viable Development (NEFGAD), a public procurement advocacy group, has raised alarm over the alleged insertion of over 11,000 projects worth N6.9 trillion into the 2025 Appropriation Act without credible needs assessments or alignment with the statutory mandates of implementing agencies.
In a letter addressed to President Bola Tinubu and the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), NEFGAD expressed deep concern about what it described as a growing trend of budgetary insertions by the National Assembly that violate due process and existing procurement laws. The group cited findings from BudgIT, a civic tech organisation that promotes transparency in public finance, which exposed the irregularities.
The letter, signed by NEFGAD’s Country Head of Office, Mr. Akingunola Omoniyi, referenced Section 18 (a–g) of the Public Procurement Act (PPA) 2007, which mandates all procuring entities to carry out needs assessments and cost evaluations as a fundamental aspect of public procurement planning. NEFGAD warned that implementing projects without these key processes breaches the law and undermines fiscal prudence, accountability, and strategic planning.
NEFGAD also flagged the recurring issue of projects being executed outside the legal mandates of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), which it said leads to duplication of efforts, institutional ambiguity, and policy incoherence. The organisation stressed that any budgetary allocation not backed by a proper planning framework or not within the constitutional mandate of an agency is both procedurally flawed and a potential avenue for misappropriation of public funds.
The group criticized the National Assembly for violating the very procurement laws it enacted, especially in the case of constituency project insertions made without consulting the procurement planning committees of the concerned MDAs, as required by Section 20 (1) of the Act.
In response, NEFGAD called on President Tinubu and the BPP to issue a directive to all MDAs to halt the implementation of any project that falls outside their statutory responsibilities or was included in the budget without a needs assessment. The group reaffirmed its commitment to promoting good governance and fiscal discipline, warning that it is prepared to take legal action to challenge any project that violates the Public Procurement Act or an agency’s constitutional function.
“Public funds must be spent based on real needs—not political convenience. We stand ready to partner with the Tinubu administration to ensure transparency and integrity in Nigeria’s budget implementation,” the group stated.
