ActionAid Nigeria has called on the Federal Government and state governments to redirect public spending from what it described as prestige projects and excessive government luxuries to investments that directly improve the lives of Nigerians, insisting that the country’s limited resources should be channelled into sectors with the greatest social impact.
The organisation made the call on Sunday in response to President Bola Tinubu’s recent directive to state governors to halt the construction of unnecessary flyovers in areas without traffic congestion and instead prioritise projects that address the pressing needs of citizens.
In a statement signed by its Country Director, Dr. Andrew Mamedu, ActionAid said the President’s remarks should trigger a broader national conversation on public finance, with greater emphasis on people-centred development rather than projects designed primarily for political visibility.
According to the organisation, while infrastructure development remains essential, Nigeria’s fiscal challenge stems from a pattern of public expenditure that often prioritises prestige over the welfare of citizens.
It argued that at a time when millions of Nigerians are grappling with economic hardship, every naira of public funds should deliver measurable benefits and tangible improvements in living conditions.
ActionAid urged governments at all levels to review expenditure on projects and activities it considers to have limited public value, including unnecessary prestige projects, luxury acquisitions, oversized official delegations, excessive local and foreign travel, and discretionary spending lacking transparency and accountability.
The organisation cited figures from the Budget Office of the Federation indicating 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, as well as food and refreshments.
However, it noted that the allocation does not necessarily represent the full cost of official trips, as expenses for accompanying officials and operational support are often captured under the budgets of other government agencies.
ActionAid argued that cutting the proposed allocation by half would free approximately ₦4.68 billion for critical public services.
According to the organisation, the savings could fund the construction of about 62 three-classroom school blocks, provide 208 solar-powered boreholes and build five fully equipped primary healthcare centres based on recently published government project costs.
Mamedu said Nigeria’s budget should reflect national development priorities rather than government extravagance.
“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.
“Every unaccounted security vote represents communities that continue to live in fear without knowing how public resources intended for their protection were spent. 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,” he said.
The organisation maintained that Nigeria’s development challenge is not a lack of resources but the choices governments make in allocating public funds.
It called on federal and state governments to prioritise investments in quality education, primary healthcare, water and sanitation, food security, climate resilience and social protection.
ActionAid also advocated a reduction in the cost of governance through cuts in unnecessary official travel, luxury purchases and oversized government delegations, while urging greater transparency and accountability in discretionary public spending, including security-related expenditure without compromising national security.
It further recommended that infrastructure projects should be selected based on evidence, community needs and measurable development outcomes rather than political considerations, while calling for increased citizen participation in budget planning, implementation and monitoring.
The organisation stressed that the true measure of governance should not be the number of monuments constructed but the number of lives improved through better education, healthcare, safe water, sustainable livelihoods and expanded opportunities for citizens.
