ActionAid Nigeria has urged the Federal and state governments to stop spending scarce public funds on what it described as wasteful luxury and prestige projects, and instead channel resources into education, healthcare and other services that directly improve the lives of Nigerians.
The organisation made the call while reacting to President Bola Tinubu’s recent directive to state governors to avoid constructing unnecessary flyovers in areas without traffic congestion and focus on projects that respond to citizens’ real needs.
Public Funds Must Serve the People
In a statement signed by its Country Director, Dr. Andrew Mamedu, ActionAid said the President’s remarks should trigger a wider national conversation on how Nigeria spends public resources.
According to the organisation, while infrastructure remains important, government spending should be driven by evidence and citizens’ welfare rather than projects designed for political visibility.
“Nigeria’s budget should reflect the country’s development priorities rather than government extravagance,”Dr. Andrew Mamedu said.
The organisation argued that with millions of Nigerians struggling with rising poverty and economic hardship, every naira of public money should deliver measurable benefits for ordinary citizens.
Invest In Schools and Healthcare
ActionAid called on governments at all levels to review spending on prestige projects, luxury vehicles, oversized official delegations, excessive local and foreign travel, and discretionary expenditures that lack transparency.
Citing figures from the Budget Office of the Federation, the organisation noted that President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima are proposed to receive a combined ₦9.36 billion in the 2026 budget for local and foreign travel, food and refreshments.
It argued that cutting the allocation by half could free about ₦4.68 billion, enough to fund approximately 62 three-classroom school blocks, 208 solar-powered boreholes and five fully equipped primary healthcare centres, based on current government project costs.
Budgets Are Moral Documents
Mamedu said government spending reflects national priorities, warning that every unnecessary luxury comes at the expense of citizens’ wellbeing.
“This is not merely a question of reducing expenditure; it is about changing national priorities. Every unnecessary luxury purchase represents classrooms that were never built. Every unjustifiable trip represents medicines that never reached a primary healthcare centre.”
He added:
“Every prestige project that fails to address citizens’ needs represents another missed opportunity to reduce poverty and inequality. Public budgets are moral documents. They reveal whose interests governments choose to protect.”
ActionAid’s Recommendations
The organisation maintained that Nigeria’s problem is not a lack of resources but how available funds are allocated.
It urged the Federal and state governments to prioritise investments in quality education, primary healthcare, water and sanitation, food security, climate resilience and social protection.
ActionAid also called for a reduction in the cost of governance through cuts to unnecessary official travel, luxury purchases and oversized government delegations, while strengthening transparency in public spending, including security-related expenditure.
It further recommended that infrastructure projects should be selected based on community needs and measurable development outcomes rather than political considerations, while encouraging greater citizen participation in budget planning, implementation and monitoring.
