No fewer than 11 federal ministries, departments, and agencies are projected to receive over N1tn each in the 2026 Appropriation Bill, underscoring the Federal Government’s continued focus on security, infrastructure, governance, and recurrent obligations amid fiscal constraints.
The figure represents an increase from 2025, when 10 ministries were allocated more than N1tn each. Before then, no single ministry or agency had crossed the N1tn mark in annual budgetary allocation, underscoring the scale and pace of the Federal Government’s expanding fiscal commitments in recent years.
A review of the proposed 2026 budget estimates presented to the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu and released by the Budget Office showed that the Ministry of Finance again topped the chart with a proposed allocation of N16.781tn.
This figure, however, represents a reduction of N739bn, or 4.22 per cent, compared with the N17.52tn allocated to the ministry in the 2025 budget. The finance ministry’s allocation, which largely covers personnel costs, pensions, and statutory transfers, has consistently remained the largest component of the Federal Government’s annual spending envelope.
The Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning followed with a proposed allocation of N9.102tn in 2026, reflecting an increase of N2.322tn, or 34.25 per cent, from the N6.78tn it received in the 2025 budget.
Similarly, the Ministry of Defence is proposed to receive N3.15tn in 2026, up by N230bn, or 7.88 per cent, from the N2.92tn appropriated in 2025, highlighting the government’s sustained emphasis on national security amid ongoing security challenges.
Spending on infrastructure also recorded a significant boost, with the Federal Ministry of Works receiving a proposed N3.49tn allocation in 2026. This represents a sharp increase of N2.35tn, or 206.1 per cent, from the N1.14tn approved in the 2025 budget, reflecting renewed commitments to highway construction, rehabilitation, and legacy road projects.
In contrast, allocations to some social and economic sectors were trimmed. The Federal Ministry of Power is to receive N1.107tn in 2026, representing a decline of N993bn, or 47.3 per cent, from the N2.1tn allocated in 2025, when the sector benefited from extensive intervention programmes.
The Ministry of Education is projected to get N2.398tn, down by N122bn, or 4.84 per cent, from its N2.52tn allocation in 2025. Health sector spending, however, recorded a modest increase. The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare is proposed to receive N2.149tn in 2026, up by N239bn, or 12.5 per cent, from the N1.91tn allocated in the previous fiscal year.
Other MDAs crossing the N1tn threshold include the Ministry of Police Affairs with N1.33tn, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security with N1.45tn, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, which is proposed to receive N1.013tn, reflecting funding requirements ahead of electoral activities within the budget cycle.
The Ministry of Niger Delta’s allocation drops significantly from N2.23tn in 2025 to N1.35tn in 2026, a reduction of about N880bn, or nearly 39.5 per cent, while Agriculture and Food Security emerges as a stronger priority area in the new fiscal year with a proposed N1.45tn allocation, reflecting the administration’s emphasis on food security and inflation control.
INEC’s proposed N1.01tn allocation in 2026 also marks a notable jump compared with its sub-trillion provisions in previous years, coming ahead of preparations for the next electoral cycle.
The 2026 Appropriation Bill was presented to a joint session of the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu against the backdrop of ongoing fiscal reforms, high debt-service costs, and efforts to stabilise the economy.
Tinubu said the budget was designed to deepen economic recovery, sustain infrastructure investment, strengthen security, and protect vulnerable Nigerians, while lawmakers have begun scrutiny of the spending plans ahead of detailed committee reviews.
The 2026 budget presentation comes against the backdrop of sluggish revenue growth, rising debt-service obligations, and persistent inflationary pressures, forcing the Federal Government to balance fiscal consolidation with economic stimulus.
In the 2026 budget, MDAs received allocations above N1tn, driven largely by security spending, personnel costs, infrastructure expansion, and statutory transfers. The proposal signals a reordering of priorities, with heavier capital emphasis on roads and security, while trimming allocations to some intervention-heavy sectors.
The National Assembly is expected to commence sectoral budget defence sessions in the coming weeks, where MDAs will justify their proposals amid growing scrutiny over spending efficiency and revenue performance.
