The federal government’s decision to push about 70% of 2025 capital projects into 2026 could leave roads, schools and hospitals waiting longer, an open-government expert warned on a talk show Wednesday.
Speaking to Mary-Ann Duke-Okon on Hard Facts on Nigeria Info 99.3FM, Vahyala Kwaga, Head of Open Government and Institutional Partnerships at BudgIT, noted that this move hinders development.
“Projects approved by Nigerians’ representatives for 2025 will now, at least on paper, be executed in 2026,” Kwaga said, adding that many promised projects have been “kicked down the road like a can.”
Kwaga urged clarity from the executive so Nigerians know which projects belong to which year.
Kwaga also explained that routine spending — wages and office overheads — is still being paid.
He noted that it is mainly capital spending on large projects) that has been deferred, sometimes twice, leaving the 2024 and 2025 capital accounts confused and “provisional,” making it difficult to hold officials accountable.
Kwaga also criticised gaps in public reporting.
He noted the government’s open-treasury portal has not been updated this year and warned that is silence fuels mistrust.
Kwaga urged the National Assembly to act as a stronger check on the executive, while stating that without clear, timely reports, “it’s going to be really, really confusing to know what’s what.”
