Former Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, has faulted the Federal Government’s allocation of nearly ₦963 billion in the 2026 budget to empowerment projects and the purchase of Sport Utility Vehicles, describing it as troubling amid calls for Nigerians to make “necessary sacrifices.”

In a Facebook post on Sunday, Dalung said the 2026 Federal Government Budget earmarked ₦947.7 billion for 2,579 empowerment projects, alongside ₦15.13 billion for 39 SUVs, bringing the total to ₦962.83 billion.

The figures were first flagged by civic technology organisation Tracka in its review of the 2026 Appropriation Act.

According to Tracka, the ₦962.83 billion allocation exceeds the combined ₦960.27 billion appropriated to seven key federal ministries: Industry, Trade and Investment; Housing and Urban Development; Women Affairs; Justice; Livestock Development; Aviation and Aerospace Development; and Petroleum Resources.

Tracka also expressed concern over a lack of transparency, noting that “only 70 of the 2,579 empowerment projects have clearly identified implementation locations”.

Reacting to the disclosures, Dalung said, “There is something deeply troubling about a government asking Nigerians to endure pain, hunger, and economic hardship in the name of ‘necessary sacrifices’ while the same government presides over a budget where nearly ₦1 trillion is tied to questionable priorities.”

He questioned how “empowerment projects alone can swallow more resources than ministries responsible for building the foundation of a nation.”

The ex-minister averred, “The problem is not empowerment. Nigerians need support. Our young people need opportunities. Our vulnerable citizens need intervention.

“The problem is a system where billions can be inserted into thousands of vaguely defined projects, many without clear locations, transparent beneficiaries, or measurable outcomes.”

He argued that when citizens cannot see where money is going, it raises doubts about whether the programmes are “truly designed to empower the poor or simply to empower the politically connected.”

“A government cannot preach sacrifice to struggling families while maintaining a culture of unexplained spending at the top,” he added.

Dalung said ordinary Nigerians “are not asking for miracles” but want to know: “If we must suffer today for tomorrow’s promise, who is enjoying today with our commonwealth?”

“Nigeria does not lack resources. We lack a political culture that places accountability above convenience and public interest above political patronage,” he explained.

“A budget is a moral document. It reveals who matters. And Nigerians deserve to know: who exactly are these billions empowering?”