The Federal Government’s decision to earmark more than N30 billion in the 2026 Appropriation Act for the renovation and construction of traditional rulers’ palaces, churches and mosques has ignited a nationwide debate over public spending, with transparency advocates, policy analysts and civil society organisations questioning whether the allocations reflect Nigeria’s most pressing development needs.
The controversy comes at a time the country is grappling with soaring inflation, rising poverty, a widening infrastructure deficit and a projected budget deficit of N31.45 trillion, leaving many Nigerians asking whether scarce public resources should be directed toward religious and traditional institutions instead of critical sectors such as healthcare, education and infrastructure.
A detailed review of the 2026 budget by Tracka, the accountability initiative of the BudgIT Foundation, revealed that the Federal Government allocated N30.15 billion for palace and religious-related projects nationwide.
According to the report, N22.15 billion was budgeted for the construction, renovation and furnishing of 106 traditional rulers’ palaces across the country, while another N8 billion was allocated to church and mosque projects, including the construction and rehabilitation of worship centres, installation of solar power systems, drilling of boreholes, provision of carpets, imam residences, musical equipment and facilities for Islamiyya schools.
Tracka disclosed that N1.91 billion was earmarked for seven church-related projects, while N6.14 billion was allocated to 52 mosque projects spread across several states.
Among the most notable allocations are N1 billion for musical and cultural equipment for churches in Abia State and another N1 billion for solar power installations at mosques in Zamfara State.
The report has renewed concerns over the growing practice of constituency projects being inserted into the budgets of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) that have little or no statutory mandate to execute them.
Billions Routed Through Unrelated Agencies
Perhaps the most striking revelation in Tracka’s analysis is that at least 45 federal MDAs were assigned palace projects despite having no constitutional or legal responsibility for constructing or renovating royal institutions.
Even more troubling, the organisation identified 11 palace projects worth N5.85 billion with no clearly defined locations, making public monitoring and accountability nearly impossible.
For instance, the Federal Cooperative College, Ibadan, under the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, received N2.66 billion for the renovation of community halls and palaces, alongside additional palace projects in Ekiti and Ondo states.
Similarly, the Sheda Science and Technology Complex (SHESTCO) was allocated N1.54 billion to modernise and furnish selected heritage palaces across Nigeria.
The Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI) was assigned projects worth almost N4 billion for palace halls, solar installations and renovations in Ekiti, Lagos, Kogi and Nasarawa states.
Other agencies assigned palace projects include the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria, National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), National Horticultural Research Institute, National Cereals Research Institute, National Productivity Centre, National Veterinary Research Institute, National Directorate of Employment (NDE), National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT), the Energy Commission of Nigeria and even the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Dawanau.
Public finance experts say assigning projects outside the statutory mandates of agencies undermines transparency, weakens procurement oversight and creates opportunities for abuse.
Kalu Defends Church Allocation
Amid the criticism, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, defended the N1 billion allocation for churches in his Bende Federal Constituency, insisting that the project had been widely misunderstood.
In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Levinus Nwabughiogu, Kalu explained that the intervention is a comprehensive youth reorientation initiative designed to combat drug abuse, violent crimes, sexual offences and moral decline through faith-based organisations.
According to him, after statutory deductions, including Value Added Tax (VAT), the actual implementation cost would be about N780 million.
He explained that the budget description referring to “musical instruments” does not fully capture the programme’s scope, which includes public address systems, evangelical equipment and other materials required for community outreach and youth engagement.
Kalu further disclosed that Bende Federal Constituency has more than 200 churches spread across 13 federal political wards, with about 130 churches expected to benefit during the first phase of the programme.
Each beneficiary church is expected to receive intervention packages valued at between N5 million and N6 million.
The Deputy Speaker also clarified that no funds have been released because implementation of the 2026 budget has yet to commence, noting that the Federal Government is still implementing projects captured in the 2024 and 2025 budgets.
He added that a corrigendum had already been initiated to correct what his office described as a technical error in the wording of the budget description.
What N8 Billion Could Do for Healthcare
Beyond concerns about transparency, the allocations have also raised questions about opportunity cost.
An assessment of current prices from Nigerian biomedical equipment suppliers indicates that the N8.05 billion allocated to religious projects alone could dramatically improve access to primary healthcare nationwide.
Industry estimates show that equipping a standard Primary Healthcare Centre with essential diagnostic, laboratory, maternity and emergency equipment costs between N35 million and N50 million.
At that rate, the N8.05 billion budgeted for churches and mosques could fully equip between 160 and 230 Primary Healthcare Centres across Nigeria.
Such facilities could be provided with portable ultrasound machines, patient monitors, laboratory analysers, delivery beds, fetal Doppler machines, oxygen concentrators, suction machines and sterilisation equipment.
Healthcare advocates argue that investments of this nature would significantly reduce maternal mortality, improve emergency care and strengthen healthcare delivery in underserved rural communities.
Analyst Questions Government’s Priorities
Political analyst Jide Ojo described the allocations as misplaced priorities, arguing that government should concentrate on providing public goods rather than financing religious activities.
“I am baffled at the enormous resources that the Nigerian government, both at the federal and state levels, has provided for religious rites, pilgrimage, renovation and building of religious worship centres,” he said.
Ojo argued that politicians often support religious projects because of the enormous influence religious leaders wield over their followers.
“They want to be seen as pious and as friends of churches or mosques because they know people listen to religious leaders,” he said.
He maintained that billions allocated to religious projects could instead be used to rehabilitate dilapidated schools, improve hospitals and expand public infrastructure.
The political analyst also questioned the constitutional implications of government funding for Christian and Islamic projects while excluding adherents of traditional religions.
“If government continues funding churches and mosques, practitioners of traditional religion can equally demand public funds to maintain their shrines,” he argued, citing the UNESCO-recognised Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove as an example.
According to him, the constitutional responsibility of government should be to guarantee freedom of religion and promote peaceful coexistence rather than directly financing places of worship.
Growing Calls for Budget Reforms
The controversy has once again highlighted longstanding concerns over Nigeria’s constituency project system and the increasing use of unrelated government agencies to execute politically driven projects.
Public finance experts and accountability advocates argue that budget allocations should align with the statutory mandates of implementing agencies and reflect national development priorities.
With millions of Nigerians facing economic hardship and critical sectors struggling with inadequate funding, civil society organisations are calling on the National Assembly and oversight institutions to strengthen budget transparency, eliminate questionable insertions and ensure that public resources deliver measurable benefits to citizens.
As debate over the 2026 budget continues, the N30.15 billion allocation has become a broader symbol of the difficult choices confronting Nigeria—whether limited public funds should finance traditional and religious institutions or be redirected toward healthcare, education and infrastructure capable of improving the lives of millions of Nigerians.
