By Stella Odueme
Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, has urged the media to play a stronger role in explaining the Federal Government’s economic reforms and promoting informed public debate on the national budget.
Bagudu made the call at the Senate Press Corps Capacity-Building Workshop, themed, “Leveraging Legislative Oversight and Media Collaboration to Safeguard the National Budget from Unlawful Insertion.”
He said journalists had a responsibility to go beyond reporting alleged irregularities in the budget by examining the constitutional processes, policy considerations and development needs behind individual provisions.
The minister urged the media to subject budget proposals to thorough investigation and ask critical questions before reaching conclusions on provisions described as controversial or unfamiliar.
According to him, the national conversation on budgeting should begin with a fundamental question: “What is the national budget, and what should it be?”
Bagudu said Nigeria’s limited fiscal space, relative to its population and development requirements, made it necessary to have a broader conversation about domestic resource mobilisation and the level of public investment needed to meet the country’s development aspirations.
He linked the discussion to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the administration’s ambition to build a more prosperous and inclusive economy, noting that the long-term objectives outlined in Agenda 2050 also provided context for current fiscal decisions.
The minister said the ambition of building a $1 trillion economy required Nigerians to confront difficult questions about how government could mobilise adequate resources to finance development.
“Should we continue with a budget that leaves our populace with one of the smallest budgets, or should we consider how we can mobilise more resources?” he asked.
Bagudu stressed that decisions on revenue generation, expenditure and borrowing were closely linked to public confidence, adding that citizens needed to understand the rationale behind major fiscal policies.
He also highlighted the constitutional responsibility of the National Assembly in the budget process, saying the legislature had ultimate authority over the national budget within Nigeria’s constitutional framework.
He therefore called for greater public understanding of the roles of the Executive and legislature, while urging journalists to strengthen oversight through evidence-based reporting.
On alleged budget insertions, Bagudu cautioned against automatically assuming that unfamiliar provisions were unlawful.
He said journalists should investigate the origin, purpose and beneficiaries of such provisions before drawing conclusions.
The minister cited provisions for water infrastructure in underserved communities and equipment for fishing communities as examples of projects that could appear questionable when viewed without their local context but might address genuine development needs.
He, however, maintained that greater context should not weaken vigilance.
“We are dealing with human processes and human errors. Therefore, vigilance is necessary, and the media and legislative oversight should remain vigilant,” he said.
Bagudu also advocated a balanced approach to budget transparency, particularly where disclosure of certain information could affect national security or other strategic interests.
While reaffirming the importance of transparency, accountability and the public’s right to information, he said responsible journalism should also take the broader national interest into consideration.
The minister further challenged the perception that capital expenditure was necessarily more beneficial to development than recurrent expenditure.
He argued that spending on security, education, healthcare, human capital development and public-sector personnel could have significant developmental impact, depending on the outcomes achieved.
Bagudu also stressed the importance of meeting the country’s debt-service obligations, warning that failure to honour such commitments could increase borrowing costs and ultimately affect private-sector businesses.
He urged the media to continue holding public institutions accountable while ensuring that budget reporting remained connected to Nigeria’s wider development challenges.
“How careful are we to ensure that, while insisting on holding public officials to account, we do not lose sight of the bigger picture?” he asked.
Bagudu said the media had a critical role in helping Nigerians understand the difficult choices confronting the country, particularly efforts to address years of under-investment in education, security, roads and water infrastructure.
He added that transforming the Nigerian economy would require more than government action, stressing the importance of public support, understanding and imagination in achieving the country’s development objectives.
The minister urged journalists to keep these issues at the centre of public discourse while continuing to demand transparency and accountability from government institutions.