Nigeria: Atiku Tackles Govt Over N8.05bn Budget Earmarked for Church, Mosque Projects

What the report says

AllAfrica, carrying a This Day report from Abuja dated 22 July 2026, reported that Atiku Abubakar, identified in the article as the African Democratic Congress presidential candidate and a former vice-president, criticised alleged federal budget provisions for religious projects. The report says about N8.05 billion in the 2026 Budget has been earmarked for church- and mosque-related projects at a time of widespread economic strain, weak public services and heavy public debt.

According to the article, Atiku’s statement was issued through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu. It cited an analysis by Tracka, a public accountability organisation, which put the allocations at roughly N1.91 billion for church-related projects and N6.14 billion for mosque-related projects. Atiku argued that if public money is being directed to religious bodies, citizens should be told the specific beneficiary institutions, communities, implementing agencies and legal basis for the spending.

The former vice-president said religious organisations in Nigeria generally have separate legal identities as Incorporated Trustees, making disclosure important where public funds are involved. He also questioned why some budget entries reportedly provide only broad locations or insufficient details, saying that makes independent verification difficult.

The dispute matters because it raises questions about transparency in public finance and the boundary between state spending and religious institutions in a constitutionally secular federation. The This Day report did not include a response from the Presidency or budget authorities to Atiku’s claims.