POLITICAL Economy

ActionAid Urges Investment In Essential Public Services

by admin on | 2026-08-02 17:08:14

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ActionAid Urges Investment In Essential Public Services

By Ahmad Sirajo Makama

ActionAid Nigeria calls on governments at all levels to prioritise investments that directly improve the lives of citizens, saying public spending should focus on education, healthcare, water, sanitation and social protection rather than prestige projects.

The organisation makes the call in a statement following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent appeal to state governors to avoid constructing unnecessary flyovers in areas without traffic congestion and instead channel resources into projects with greater public impact.

ActionAid Nigeria says that while infrastructure remains important for development, the real challenge is ensuring that limited public resources are allocated to projects that provide measurable benefits to citizens, especially amid the country’s economic challenges.

According to the organisation, public expenditure should be reviewed to eliminate unnecessary luxury acquisitions, oversized government delegations, excessive official travel and other discretionary spending that lack transparency and accountability.

Citing figures released by the Budget Office of the Federation, ActionAid notes that President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima are proposed to receive a combined ₦9.36 billion in the 2026 budget for local and foreign travel, food and refreshments.

The organisation argues that reducing the allocation by 50 per cent could free about ₦4.68 billion, which it says could fund the construction of about 62 three-classroom school blocks, 208 solar-powered boreholes and five fully equipped primary healthcare centres based on recent government project costs.

ActionAid Nigeria’s Country Director, Dr Andrew Mamedu, says public budgets should reflect national priorities and improve the welfare of citizens.

According to him, “This is not merely a question of reducing expenditure; it is about changing national priorities. Public budgets are moral documents. They reveal whose interests governments choose to protect.”

The organisation also urges the federal and state governments to strengthen transparency and accountability in public spending, ensure infrastructure projects are based on evidence and community needs, and institutionalise meaningful citizen participation in budget planning and implementation.

ActionAid maintains that Nigeria’s development challenge is not only about the availability of resources but also about making deliberate choices that improve education, healthcare, access to safe water, livelihoods and opportunities for all Nigerians.