Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, a senator from Kogi Central, has urged President Bola Tinubu to make sure that the proposed ₦58.18 trillion 2026 budget has a quantifiable and beneficial effect on the lives of regular Nigerians.
In response to Tinubu’s budget presentation at the National Assembly’s joint session on Friday, the senator called the meeting important but warned against focussing too much on headline numbers at the expense of results.
Akpoti-Uduaghan also cautioned that the nation’s long-standing development issues cannot be solved by fiscal size alone.
“Of all the lengthy speeches, one line by Mr President struck me deeply.
“It’s not the size of the budget but the quantum of impact felt by Nigerians,” she said.
The legislator pointed out that although Nigeria’s economic aspirations and structural issues are reflected in the planned ₦58.18 trillion expenditure plan, residents are far more interested with how government spending results in real benefits in their everyday lives.
She claims that rather than just being attractive forecasts on paper, Nigerians expect budgets to enhance living standards through the provision of sustainable jobs, effective infrastructure, inexpensive healthcare, high-quality education, and easily available social services.
She also stressed that leaders and the governed must work together to uphold accountability in government, emphasising the importance of public scrutiny in attaining significant results.
“Leaders must do better, and citizens must demand accountability,” she stressed.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, a member of the Senate Committee on Finance, has continuously promoted fiscal transparency, responsible use of public funds, and people-centered budgeting. These stances are in line with the public’s increasing desire for governance results that are both quantifiable and felt at the local level.
Her comments reflected broader worries both inside and outside the National Assembly that Nigeria’s yearly budgets, despite growing in size, had not yet produced advances in social stability, productivity, and welfare.
Presenting the 2026 Appropriations Bill to the National Assembly on Friday, the President promised greater revenue enforcement across government institutions and more budget control, all while anticipating a slowly growing economy.
