Nigeria’s 2026 national budget proposal has sparked intense public outrage across the country. A recent report exposed an allocation of N8.05 billion specifically earmarked for church and mosque projects. The allocation covers constructing new worship places, renovating old ones, buying musical equipment, and installing solar power systems.
The news created a major storm on social media and news broadcasts. Popular activist Aisha Yesufu and Arise TV presenter Rufai Oseni expressed deep anger over the development. Both commentators questioned why a government facing massive economic difficulties would spend public funds on religious centers while public schools, hospitals, and roads remain in terrible conditions.
At WhatsBuzzn, we keep you connected to trending topics that shape public conversations. We break down big political news so everyone can understand what is happening in simple, clear terms. Here is a detailed look at the N8bn religious budget controversy, why key leaders are furious, and what this means for ordinary citizens.
The N8.05 Billion Allocation: What Is Really in the 2026 Budget?
The controversy started after Tracka, a public accountability initiative under BudgIT, analyzed the details of the 2026 Appropriation Act. Their report revealed that the Federal Government set aside N8.05 billion for 59 religious projects across different states.
The breakdown shows a significant imbalance in how the funds were distributed:
- Mosque Projects: N6.14 billion was allocated to 52 mosque-related projects. These include building new central mosques, renovating existing ones, setting up solar power systems, digging boreholes, and rehabilitating Islamiyya schools attached to mosques.
- Church Projects: N1.91 billion was set aside for 7 church-related projects. One of the largest single items under this category is N1 billion for buying and distributing musical and cultural equipment to churches in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State.
Some specific projects highlighted in the budget report include:
- N1 billion for alternative power supply to a mosque in Zamfara North.
- N280 million for mosque renovations and mini-grid installation in Zamfara Central.
- N280 million for renovating Central Mosque Minna and Paiko Central Mosque in Niger State.
- N210 million for building a Jumu’at mosque, Islamiyya school, fencing, and an imam’s residence in Tsafe Town, Zamfara State.
- N200 million for building and furnishing an Islamic center in Kebbi State.
- N200 million for mosque construction in Kano State.
- N50 million for church renovation in Bayelsa East.
Beyond the huge sums, accountability groups pointed out another concerning issue. Many of these religious projects were assigned to government ministries and agencies that have nothing to do with religion. For example, agencies under the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Ministry of Health, and Ministry of Science and Technology were given mandates to execute church and mosque contracts.
Aisha Yesufu Reacts: “What Is the Business of the State with Religion?”
Activist and political commentator Aisha Yesufu took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to share her strong displeasure. Known for her fearless stance on bad governance, she questioned the core logic behind using taxpayers’ money to fund worship centers.
She stated clearly that state funds should be spent on public services that benefit every citizen equally, regardless of their faith. In her post, Aisha Yesufu asked:
“What is the business of the State with religion? Why is the Nigerian government funding churches and mosques? Why should churches and mosques be in the budget? Monies that should be used to fund education… We are just not a serious country.”
Her reaction touched on a long-standing issue in Nigerian politics. Nigeria is constitutionally a secular country, meaning the government should not promote or fund any particular religion. Religious buildings in Nigeria are typically built and maintained through voluntary offerings, tithes, and donations from worshippers. Using federal revenue to construct or furnish religious buildings shifts public resources away from critical needs like primary education, healthcare, and road safety.
Rufai Oseni Calls Out Lawmakers: “Everything About These Lawmakers Is Fraud”
On Arise TV’s Morning Show, broadcast journalist Rufai Oseni expressed equal fury over the budget figures. He strongly criticized members of the National Assembly, accusing them of inserting these line items for personal and political gain.
Rufai pointed out that many of these line items appear to be constituency projects disguised as religious interventions. He specifically questioned why N1 billion was routed to Bende LGA in Abia State for church musical equipment, and why massive mosque allocations went to specific senator seats in Zamfara and Zaria.
In a passionate broadcast, Rufai Oseni said:
“Everything about these lawmakers is fraud. Tax law, fraud, budget fraud. Why is it that the church project went to Bende? Who is from there? Why is it that the mosque budget went to Zaria? Who is from Zaria? Rubber stamp lawmakers.”
He argued that lawmakers are abusing their positions by padding the national budget with projects that serve personal political interests. Rather than solving severe economic difficulties, leaders appear focused on creating opportunities to divert public funds.
Atiku Abubakar and Religious Groups Join the Backlash
The outrage extended beyond activists and journalists. Former Vice President and ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar issued a formal statement through his spokesperson, Phrank Shaibu. Atiku strongly condemned the allocation and demanded immediate transparency from the presidency.
Atiku noted that while faith is important to millions of Nigerians, religious sanctity should never be used as a shield to hide opaque public spending. He pointed out that unlike standard public projects like roads or hospitals—which have specific, verifiable locations—many of the religious line items in the 2026 budget fail to name the specific churches or mosques benefiting from the money.
Atiku stated:
“God is not a laundering machine for public funds. The Tinubu administration has no moral or legal licence to hide behind the altar, the minbar or the sacred robes of our priests and imams to mask questionable appropriations. If these projects are genuine, publish the names of every beneficiary institution, disclose every project location and execute every project in full public view.”
At the same time, religious bodies raised concerns about equity. The Northern Christian Association (NCA), led by Rev. Joseph Hayab, questioned the huge gap between the amounts allocated to churches versus mosques. They noted that allocating N6.14 billion to 52 mosque projects while assigning N1.91 billion to 7 church projects creates feelings of unequal treatment and religious bias. The NCA stressed that government spending must adhere to constitutional principles of fairness and justice for all citizens.
According to reports by Daily Post Nigeria and The ICIR, this widespread criticism highlights how deeply concerned Nigerians are about fiscal responsibility.
Why Nigerians Are Angry: The Economic Reality
To understand why this issue triggered such public anger, it helps to look at Nigeria’s overall financial situation in 2026.
The proposed 2026 budget totals N68.3 trillion. However, the government expects a fiscal deficit of N31.45 trillion. This means nearly 46% of the national budget is funded through borrowing. Debt servicing alone consumes N15.8 trillion.
While the nation borrows trillions to fund basic operations, ordinary citizens are dealing with everyday financial pressures:
- High food prices and rising transport costs.
- Inadequate power supply forcing small business owners to rely on costly generators.
- Collapsing infrastructure in public primary and secondary schools.
- Poorly equipped public hospitals lacking basic medical supplies.
- Bad road networks connecting farming communities to urban markets.
Given these harsh realities, spending N8.05 billion on religious buildings strikes many citizens as completely disconnected from public needs. Citizens pay income taxes, value-added tax (VAT), and various levies expect those funds to build better schools, repair highways, secure communities, and improve health facilities.
When government departments tasked with agriculture or marine affairs spend public money buying church speakers or renovating town mosques, it signals a serious mismatch in public priorities.
The Role of Civic Tech and Open Budget Tracking
This controversy shows how technology and open data platforms are transforming civic engagement in Nigeria. In past decades, detailed budget line items often went unnoticed by the public. Today, digital budget tracking tools allow civil society organizations to analyze thousands of pages of budget documents and extract crucial information.
Organizations like Tracka and BudgIT make government spending visible to ordinary citizens. By highlighting wasteful line items, these platforms enable citizens to demand accountability from elected officials.
Technology is reshaping how public finance is monitored. Modern tools help citizens follow the money from budget presentation to project execution on the ground. To learn more about how technological innovations are changing industries and public access to information, read our latest articles on Technology & AI.
In addition, online media creators and independent journalists use digital platforms to share these findings with millions of viewers instantly. Modern broadcasting techniques allow stories like this to go viral within hours. If you are interested in how modern content creation and video platforms reach massive audiences, explore our insights on YouTube Automation.
What Needs to Change in Nigeria’s Budgeting System?
The backlash over the N8bn religious budget points to larger structural issues in how Nigeria plans and executes its annual budgets. Here are key steps governance experts say are needed to prevent similar problems in the future:
1. Enforce Ministry Mandates Strictly
Government departments should only receive funds for projects within their legal responsibility. The Ministry of Agriculture should focus entirely on food security, farm machinery, and rural storage facilities—not building worship centers.
2. End Budget Padding and Opaque Line Items
The National Assembly must stop inserting vague, unverified constituency projects into national spending plans. Every project in the budget should clearly state its specific location, exact cost, verified beneficiary, and implementing agency.
3. Separate Church, Mosque, and State Governance
Public taxes should strictly fund public goods that serve all citizens regardless of belief. Religious institutions are private bodies supported by their members. While government can partner with faith-based organizations on community outreach, direct funding of private places of worship from public debt is unsustainable.
4. Increase Public Participation in Budget Hearings
Before any national budget is passed into law, public hearings should allow citizens, professional groups, and civil society organizations to review proposed spending items. Public scrutiny helps spot wasteful allocations before they are approved.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why are Aisha Yesufu and Rufai Oseni angry about the 2026 budget?
Aisha Yesufu and Rufai Oseni are furious because the government set aside N8.05 billion for churches and mosques at a time when Nigeria faces serious economic challenges, high national debt, and falling standards in schools and hospitals. They argue that public tax money should fund public infrastructure, not private religious institutions.
How much money was allocated to churches versus mosques in the 2026 budget?
According to an analysis by Tracka, N6.14 billion was allocated to 52 mosque-related projects, while N1.91 billion was set aside for 7 church-related projects.
Why are unrelated ministries handling these religious projects?
Budget analysis revealed that agencies under ministries like Agriculture, Health, Marine Economy, and Science & Technology were assigned church and mosque projects. Activists say this happens when lawmakers pad the budget with constituency projects assigned to random government agencies rather than following proper institutional mandates.
Is it legal for the Nigerian government to fund religious projects?
The Nigerian Constitution states that the government should not adopt any religion as a state religion. While the government sometimes collaborates with community organizations, directly funding private places of worship using borrowed public money raises serious constitutional and moral questions regarding equal treatment and fiscal discipline.
What did Atiku Abubakar say about the allocation?
Atiku Abubakar called the allocation opaque and demanded that the government publish full details of every beneficiary institution and location. He stated that faith should never be used as a cover to mask questionable public spending, remarking that “God is not a laundering machine for public funds.”
Conclusion
The strong reaction from Aisha Yesufu, Rufai Oseni, political leaders, and everyday citizens highlights a growing public demand for better governance in Nigeria. When a country borrows trillions of Naira to keep its economy afloat, every single Naira in the budget must be accounted for and spent where it matters most—on health, education, security, and economic opportunities.
Citizens are watching public spending closer than ever before. Through open tracking tools, social media, and active reporting, public pressure will continue to challenge wasteful spending and demand that taxpayers’ money serves the collective good.
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