The Federal Government has earmarked only N206.50 billion for poverty reduction initiatives in its proposed N58.47 trillion 2026 budget a mere 0.35% of total spending raising fresh questions about the priority given to tackling widespread poverty in Africa’s most populous nation.
A detailed review of project-specific line items in the 2026 Appropriation Bill shows that the entire allocation tagged directly to poverty alleviation across all ministries, departments, agencies (MDAs), and the Service Wide Vote amounts to N206.5 billion. When measured against the capital budget of N23.21 trillion, the figure represents roughly 0.89%.
More than 96% of the poverty envelope N200 billion comes from two major recurrent provisions under the Service Wide Vote: N100 billion for the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy (NPRGS) under FGN commitment, including the upscaling of the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP), and another N100 billion for general NPRGS recurrent expenditure.
This leaves just N6.50 billion for all other MDAs combined — a tiny fraction spread thinly across dozens of small, often constituency-focused interventions.
Key examples include:
– The Federal Co-operative College, Ibadan, receiving N2.87 billion — the largest single MDA allocation — for the provision of tricycles and motorcycles to selected communities across the six geopolitical zones.
– Nigeria Stored Products Research Institute in Ilorin allocated N507.5 million, mostly for grain distribution in selected Edo State communities and the North Central region.
– The Board for Technology Business Incubator Centre, Abuja, receiving N700 million for technology-based empowerment across all local government areas in Zamfara West Senatorial District.
– Smaller provisions such as N140 million under the Federal Ministry of Agriculture for grain supply in Kwara South and borehole/skill-pack interventions nationwide, and N105 million under SMEDAN for training women and youths in Borno State.
Many allocations are geographically specific, targeting individual senatorial districts, federal constituencies, or local government areas, often focusing on grain distribution, tricycles/motorcycles, empowerment items for women and youths, and basic infrastructure like boreholes.
Critics argue that the overall envelope is grossly inadequate given Nigeria’s poverty statistics: over 133 million people (63% of the population) were classified as multidimensionally poor in the latest National Bureau of Statistics survey, and the country ranks among the world’s highest in extreme poverty.
The heavy reliance on the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy — a flagship programme launched in 2021 — has also drawn scrutiny. While the NPRGS aims to lift 35 million Nigerians out of poverty by 2025 (a target widely considered missed), the 2026 budget continues to channel the vast majority of poverty-related funds through this single framework rather than diversified, scalable interventions.
Government officials have defended the allocation, noting that broader spending on agriculture, education, health, infrastructure, and job creation indirectly supports poverty reduction. They also point to the NSIP upscaling component and ongoing reforms aimed at improving targeting and efficiency.
Still, civil society groups and development experts have called for a significant increase in direct poverty-focused spending, arguing that 0.35% of the budget is insufficient to address the scale of deprivation, especially amid high inflation, unemployment, and rising living costs.
As the National Assembly begins deliberations on the 2026 Appropriation Bill, the poverty allocation is expected to attract intense scrutiny. For millions of Nigerians struggling daily, the numbers highlight a stark reality: even in a record-breaking budget, direct efforts to lift people out of poverty remain a very small slice of the national cake.
