Atiku Questions Tinubu’s 2025 Budget’s Capacity To Tackle Nigeria’s Challenges

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, on Sunday, December 22, 2024, took a critical look at the 2025 Appropriation Bill presented to the National Assembly by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying that the federal budget’s capacity to foster sustainable economic growth and tackle Nigeria’s deep-rooted challenges is questionable.

He said that to enhance the budget’s credibility, the administration must prioritize the reduction of inefficiencies in government operations, tackle contract inflation, and focus on long-term fiscal sustainability rather than perpetuating unsustainable borrowing and recurrent spending patterns.

Atiku specifically said that the 2025 budget, amounting to N48 trillion with a revenue forecast of N35 trillion, resulting in a deficit exceeding N13 trillion or 4% of GDP reflects a continuation of business-as-usual fiscal practices.

He noted that it represented a persistent trend under the APC-led administration since 2016, wherein budget deficits have been consistently presented, accompanied by an increasing reliance on external borrowing.

The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election, noted that to bridge this fiscal gap, the administration plans to secure over N13 trillion in new borrowings, including N9 trillion in direct borrowings and N4 trillion in project-specific loans.

Atiku stressed that the borrowing strategy mirrors the approach of previous administrations, resulting in rising public debt and exacerbating the attendant risks related to interest payments and foreign exchange exposure.

Atiku said that key issues arise from several factors that include, weak budgetary foundations, disproportionate debt servicing, unsustainable government expenditure, insufficient capital investment, and regressive taxation and economic strain.

He further said; “Weak Budgetary Foundations: The 2024 budget’s underperformance signals poor budgetary execution. By Q3 of the fiscal year, less than 35% of the allocated capital expenditure for MDAs had been disbursed, despite claims of 85% budget execution. This underperformance in capital spending, crucial for fostering economic transformation, raises concerns about the execution of the 2025 budget.

“Disproportionate Debt Servicing: Debt servicing, which accounts for N15.8 trillion (33% of the total expenditure), is nearly equal to planned capital expenditure (N16 trillion, or 34%). Moreover, debt servicing surpasses spending on key priority sectors such as defence (N4.91 trillion), infrastructure (N4.06 trillion), education (N3.52 trillion), and health (N2.4 trillion). This imbalance will likely crowd out essential investments and perpetuate a cycle of increasing borrowing and debt accumulation, undermining fiscal stability.

“Unsustainable Government Expenditure: The government’s recurrent expenditure remains disproportionately high, with over N14 trillion (30% of the budget) allocated to operating an oversized bureaucracy and supporting inefficient public enterprises. The lack of concrete steps to curb wastage and enhance the efficiency of public spending exacerbates the fiscal challenges, leaving limited resources for development.

“Insufficient Capital Investment: After accounting for debt servicing and recurrent expenditure, the remaining allocation for capital spending, ranging from 25% to 34% of the total budget, is insufficient to address Nigeria’s infrastructure deficit and stimulate growth. This equates to an average capital allocation of approximately N80,000 (US$45) per capita, insufficient to meet the demands of a nation grappling with slow growth and infrastructural underdevelopment.

“Regressive Taxation and Economic Strain: The administration’s decision to increase the VAT rate from 7.5% to 10% is a retrogressive measure that will exacerbate the cost-of-living crisis and impede economic growth. By imposing additional tax burdens on an already struggling populace while failing to address governance inefficiencies, the government risks stifling domestic consumption and further deepening economic hardship,” Atiku stressed.

The former Vice President emphasised that the 2025 budget lacked the structural reforms and fiscal discipline required to address Nigeria’s multifaceted economic challenges.

Atiku suggested a shift towards a more disciplined and growth-oriented fiscal policy which he stressed is essential for the nation’s economic recovery.