Why Tinubu’s 2025 Budget Relies On States’ Projects For Political Survival – Insider Analysis

On December 18, 2024, Tinubu presented a ₦49.7 trillion budget proposal to a joint session of the National Assembly, which is set for approval. The lawmakers will reconvene on February 4, 2025, following ongoing budget defense sessions by ministries, departments, and agencies.

In an interview with Laolu Akande on Channels Television’s Sunday edition of Inside Sources, Enang criticized the budget’s low revenue allocation and lack of substantial revenue generation and mobilization. He emphasized that if the 2025 Appropriation Bill is passed and signed into law, it will not provide adequate material for President Tinubu to campaign on in 2026 and 2027.

Enang pointed to major infrastructure projects, such as the Calabar-Ikot Ekpene, Lagos-Ibadan, Abuja-Lokoja-Benin, and Abuja-Kaduna highways, noting that the funds allocated are insufficient to complete these projects within the budget cycle. He advised the president and his economic team to be more strategic, prioritize key projects, and set clear milestones with tentative completion dates.

He also urged Tinubu and his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, to address the ongoing budget discussions in the National Assembly. Enang said, “I have reviewed the budget, and it is not reflective of the kind of projects that could give the president something to showcase with pride in 2026.”

He concluded, “The current budget, as it stands, will likely leave them with tough questions to answer in the campaigns of 2026 and 2027. The allocations to specific projects are so small that some may need to be abandoned, leaving the administration with little to show for its efforts.”