- Nigeria’s total budget over 27 years (1999-2025) amounts to N232.546 trillion, equivalent to $667.887 billion.
- The breakdown of budget expenditures by president includes:
- Obasanjo: N12.332 trillion ($121.35 billion), 5.30%
- Yar’Adua: N10.949 trillion ($79.13 billion), 4.71%
- Jonathan: N25.296 trillion ($156.569 billion), 10.88%
- Buhari: N97.018 trillion ($228.641 billion), 41.72%
- Tinubu: N86.972 trillion ($81.977 billion), 37.40%
- Despite significant budget allocations, Nigeria has witnessed little development, with issues like out-of-school children persisting.
Nigeria’s total budget over the past 27 years totals N232.546 trillion, a staggering figure equivalent to $667.887 billion. This amount encompasses various budgets and supplementary budgets passed by the National Assembly since 1999.
The breakdown of expenditures by president reveals significant disparities. President Muhammadu Buhari leads with the highest expenditure, appropriating N97.018 trillion ($228.641 billion) during his eight-year tenure. This accounts for 41.72% of the total budget.
In contrast, late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua spent the least, with N10.949 trillion ($79.13 billion) allocated during his 1,071 days in office. This represents 4.71% of the total budget.
Other notable expenditures include former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s N12.332 trillion ($121.35 billion), representing 5.30% of the total budget, and former President Goodluck Jonathan’s N25.296 trillion ($156.569 billion), accounting for 10.88% of the total budget. Current President Bola Tinubu has spent N86.972 trillion ($81.977 billion), representing 37.40% of the total budget.
Despite these significant budget allocations, Nigeria continues to face development challenges. For instance, the number of out-of-school children has increased from 7.019 million in 1999 to 18.3 million in 2025, according to UNESCO.
