Fresh scrutiny has greeted Nigeria’s 2026 Federal Government budget after findings revealed that about 78 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) earmarked nearly ₦400 billion for the construction and rehabilitation of mosques, traditional rulers’ palaces, community halls, market squares, civic centres and similar projects.
The revelations have sparked conversations among Christians, public policy experts and civil society groups over whether such allocations reflect Nigeria’s most pressing national priorities, especially amid rising insecurity, economic hardship, poverty and the persecution of many Christian communities in parts of the country.
According to budget documents reviewed by The PUNCH, billions of naira were allocated to projects including the renovation of mosques, construction of royal palaces, village halls and market infrastructure. Critics argue that many of these projects fall outside the statutory responsibilities of the agencies implementing them and may represent misplaced spending priorities.
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Christian advocacy groups and concerned believers have also questioned the apparent imbalance in public spending, noting that while billions are proposed for religious and community infrastructure, thousands of churches in violence-affected regions remain destroyed, and many displaced Christian families continue to live in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps with inadequate access to housing, healthcare, education and livelihoods. These concerns come against the backdrop of years of attacks on Christian communities in parts of northern and central Nigeria.
Public accountability organisation Tracka further noted that the 2026 budget includes billions of naira for places of worship, with allocations covering both churches and mosques, while questioning whether federal agencies without constitutional mandates for such projects should execute them. The organisation called for greater transparency, accountability and adherence to constitutional responsibilities in public spending.
Economic analysts have similarly argued that scarce public resources would yield greater national impact if directed toward sectors such as education, healthcare, security, electricity, roads and job creation instead of numerous fragmented constituency-style projects. They warned that such allocations could weaken fiscal discipline and reduce investment in transformational infrastructure.
The development is expected to fuel further debate among Christians and other Nigerians over the role of government in funding religious and community projects, as well as broader questions of equity, accountability and stewardship of public funds.
Editor’s Note: New Man Media recognises that the 2026 budget contains allocations benefiting both churches and mosques. The concerns highlighted in this report reflect ongoing public discussions about government spending priorities, constitutional mandates and the welfare of vulnerable communities, particularly persecuted and displaced Christians.
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