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Tracka, a subsidiary of BudgIT, lamented that Nigeria allocated N732 billion for unclear empowerment projects in the 2024 budget.
The figure, the organization regretted, was higher than the Rp646.5 billion allocated for health projects in the budget.
Tracka chief Ayomide Ladipo revealed this in his statement on Sunday.
Tracka asserts that Nigerian empowerment projects are opaque and difficult to track due to their nature.
According to Tracka, the large allocation for empowerment projects will be channeled to curb disparities in Nigeria’s health sector, which has the second highest child mortality rate in the world.
Tracka alleges that the empowerment project is being used as a funnel to siphon off public resources.
It is noted that the DPR has 7,447 projects with a value of IDR 2.24 trillion in the 2024 budget.
Further analysis of the Tracka report also shows that over 2,558 projects worth N624 billion were allocated to agencies outside their mandate.
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Tracka therefore called on Nigeria’s anti-corruption agencies to investigate anomalies in the 2024 budget to prevent diversion, misuse and embezzlement.
Tracka argues that the empowerment project is opaque and difficult to track due to its nature. The project is also used as a funnel to transfer public resources to party loyalists, resulting in misuse of public funds.
“In the 2024 Federal Government budget, there are 4,440 empowerment projects. Previously, empowerment projects were limited to constituency projects, but over the years, they have gradually seeped into capital projects through insertions by the National Assembly. For instance, the National Assembly included 7,447 projects worth N2.24 trillion in the 2024 budget.
“Tracka identifies this as a troubling trend, given the infrastructure gaps and large budget deficits the country is facing.
“Further analysis also shows that over 2,558 projects worth N624 billion were allocated to agencies outside their mandate. An example is the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) – ERGP20241489 – allocated N5 billion for Procurement and Distribution of Official Vehicles to Elected Traditional Rulers in Six Geopolitical Zones in Nigeria (Many Lots). Another is the Nigerian Institute of Oceanography and Marine Research (NiOMR) – ERGP20245718 – allocated N2.32 billion to construct a 3.5km Road from Mother Methodist Church to Eri River,” the organisation said.
BudgIT Country Director Gabriel Okeowo commented on Tracka’s findings by saying, “The impact of assigning projects to agencies outside their mandate is to weaken the monitoring, evaluation and sustainability of the projects.
“These agencies lack the expertise and personnel to ensure quality service delivery for these projects, leading to under-delivery and massive waste of taxpayers’ money and limited resources.”
By: Babajide Okeowo
Tracka slams Nigerian government over N732 billion allocated for obscure empowerment projects in 2024 budget first appeared on Latest Nigeria News | Headlines from Ripples Nigeria.
