By Huldah Shado
Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to prioritise the impact of the proposed ₦58.18 trillion 2026 Appropriation Bill, stressing that budget size alone will not address Nigeria’s development challenges.
Reacting on Friday to Tinubu’s presentation of the 2026 budget at a joint session of the National Assembly, Akpoti-Uduaghan cautioned against focusing on headline figures rather than tangible outcomes that improve citizens’ lives.
She noted that while the budget reflects the scale of Nigeria’s economic ambitions, Nigerians are more concerned with how spending translates into jobs, functional infrastructure, affordable healthcare, quality education and improved living standards.
“It’s not the size of the budget but the quantum of impact felt by Nigerians,” she said, adding that expanding figures without visible results would remain largely symbolic.
The senator emphasised that accountability is a shared responsibility, urging leaders to deliver results while citizens actively demand transparency and oversight.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, a member of the Senate Committee on Finance, reaffirmed her call for people-centred budgeting, fiscal transparency and prudent resource management, echoing growing concerns that rising budgets have yet to yield commensurate improvements in welfare and social stability.
