Bagudu: Amid Global Funding Decline, 2026 Budget to Prioritise Security, Infrastructure, Ward-based Development, Others

•Says losses from crude oil and gas, critical mineral sectors will be curtailed

James Emejo in Abuja

Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, yesterday said the 2026 budget will prioritise ward-based development, infrastructure, security and stronger domestic output amid a global aid cut.

The minister spoke at a stakeholders’ engagement with the International Non-Governmental Organisation (INGO) Forum, in Abuja.

He stressed that the next budget cycle will support the country’s audacious ambition towards a $1 trillion economy by 20230.

He pointed out that the Medium-term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) sets out the assumptions for the 2026 fiscal year, including revenue projections, production targets and the new strategy to drive growth at community level.

Bagudu said, “Mr. President and the state governors have met and approved the Renewed Hope Ward Development Plan, where in each of the 8,809 wards, the programmes will be designed ward-specific to ensure that economic prosperity in those wards is enhanced.

“Secondly, the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Fund. The state governors have agreed with Mr. President that there is an irreducible minimum of infrastructure investment that we need to continue making in order to sustain the trajectory of macroeconomic reforms that we are achieving. Equally, more investment in security by all the three tiers of government.”

He said, “Already, Mr. President has set up a committee, and training institutions of security agencies are being assessed under a committee led by the governor of Enugu state. And they have presented an initial report where they indicated that an initial sum of $100 billion will be required to boost some of those training institutions. And recall that Mr. President had even directed recruitment of more security agencies, as well as the recall of security agents that are serving in non-operational areas.

“Equally, Mr. President and the National Economic Council have approved a programme to ensure that loss of revenue is minimised from crude oil and gas sector, as well as the critical mineral sector. There are allegations that a lot of our precious stones, a lot of our gold, are being mined illegally. So, all steps have been taken.

“Last but not the least, the President agreed with the state governors that we should embark on more measures to support domestic production.”

He said the meeting was part of a wider engagement with international NGOs to improve coordination, strengthen capacity at local levels and support Nigeria’s 2026-2030 growth plans.

He said the government is using the meeting to review what works, what needs to change, and how both sides can improve cooperation across federal, state, and local levels, beyond financial support.

He noted that INGOs play a major role in shaping public understanding of reforms and helping governments learn from global experiences, especially in countries that have successfully tackled similar challenges.

He said, “We are here to show appreciation on behalf of our nation to all the International Non-governmental Organisations that are engaged in one way or the other with our country’s progress, to hear from them what we can do differently, what we can do better, and how we can learn more from them, particularly given our federal structure.

“They are instrumental in the way that we can do better as a country, because they have experienced how some countries, where they either come from or they have been engaged with, have solved the problems that we are dealing with currently. We have embarked on bold, tough reforms under the able and courageous leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. We couldn’t have done those reforms without their support, because we need public acceptance.”

Director of the Nigeria INGO Forum, Camilla Higgins, said the meeting comes at a time when global development assistance is shrinking sharply, noting that Nigeria is one of the countries selected for a faster transition out of the international aid system even though its humanitarian needs are increasing.

She emphasised that the 2025 humanitarian national response plan sought $910 million but only 24 per cent had been fundraised, making it necessary to support Nigeria to raise more local resources for people in need.

Higgins said the priority now is to build stronger systems with the government and redirect more national resources to support the delivery of assistance.

She said, “What we are experiencing in Nigeria is an example of what’s being experienced globally, that international overseas development assistance is shrinking dramatically.

“We have had, due to the extent of the humanitarian crisis here over a decade—almost 15 years or more—an internationally coordinated humanitarian response, following the structures of the Interagency Standing Committee, that is a global structure.

“We’re now going to see that structure dismantled in Nigeria in order to hand over responsibility more to national actors. The point that we are emphasising here is that this is not a reflection of a reduction in need in Nigeria, quite the opposite.”

She said, “As resources are shrinking, the needs across the country are, in fact, growing… So, we need to partner very strongly with the government of Nigeria to put in place alternative systems and structures that can continue to meet the needs of people across the country.”