Nigeria’s Assemblies Have Become Budget Couriers
Sports & Tourism Development Contextualisation
NIGERIA once offered a budgeting culture that could fuel sporting and tourism development, the very model Cross River proudly championed in its tourism-sports golden era. But today, the budget ecosystem that should power such sub-national transformation has become shallow and rushed. When former governor Donald Duke revived tourism by rebuilding infrastructure and reopening the airport, institutions worked in sync with long-term planning. That kind of strategy demands budget oversight that is deliberate, not hurried.
In 2026, average state spending is projected at ₦1.02 trillion, up from ₦611 billion in 2025. Delta leads with ₦1.729 trillion, Enugu follows with ₦1.62 trillion, Rivers remains at ₦1.48 trillion for 2025, while Ondo expanded its proposal from ₦492.795 billion to ₦524.41 billion after Assembly adjustment. Oyo approved ₦892.085 billion, passing and assenting within a month. But the question is not how much is spent, it is what the Assembly knows about what it approves.
Lawmakers argue that collaboration happens before presentation. Yes, budgeting is complex. But complexity is exactly why review matters. Executives submitting proposals late, like the federal MTEF delay, have contributed to the stampede. But assemblies failing to amend or challenge anything have turned themselves into couriers, delivering budget documents from the governor to the governor. There is no constitutional progress in passing a bill without passing scrutiny.
For a country seeking to reclaim regional development brands—whether in tourism, sports, security or economic resilience—budget reform must mean institutional reform, not calendar alignment. Nigeria does not need faster budgets, it needs braver assemblies.
