Fresh scrutiny has trailed the 2026 federal budget following reports that the Federal Ministry of Water Resources made provisions totalling ₦8.05 billion for church-and mosque-related projects.
According to findings by Tracka, as cited during an interview on Arise Television on Thursday, ₦1.91 billion was allocated to seven church-related projects, while ₦6.14 billion was earmarked for 52 mosque-related projects, bringing the total allocation to ₦8.05 billion.
Reacting to the development, political analyst Jide Ojo questioned the inclusion of religious projects in the budgets of ministries and agencies whose statutory mandates are unrelated to places of worship.
Ojo argued that public expenditure should reflect the constitutional and statutory responsibilities of government institutions, expressing concern over the inclusion of church and mosque renovation projects in the budgets of ministries such as Agriculture and Water Resources.
“Imagine in a Ministry of Agriculture, you are putting money for the renovation of mosques. In a Ministry of Water Resources, you are putting money for the renovation of churches. Is that one of the mandates for those religious centres?” he asked during the television interview.
He maintained that such allocations raise questions about budget priorities and whether they align with the core functions assigned to the affected ministries and agencies.
The budgetary figures have continued to generate public debate over the appropriateness of funding religious projects through government ministries with unrelated statutory responsibilities.
Source: Tracka findings except headline as discussed by political analyst Jide Ojo during an interview on Arise Television.
