National Assembly Allocates Billions for Recreation Centre Amidst Rising Debt Concerns

The National Assembly (NASS) has allocated substantial sums for various projects, including a recreation centre and car parks, despite Nigeria facing a significant debt burden of over N87.91 trillion. The budget allocations have raised concerns, especially considering Nigeria’s growing debt and its impact on the economy.

The breakdown of the allocations reveals that N4 billion has been set aside for the National Assembly Recreation Centre, while N3 billion each has been allocated for the House of Representatives and Senate car parks. Additionally, N3 billion has been earmarked for the procurement of books for the NASS Library, with another N3 billion for upgrading key infrastructure. The budget also includes N3 billion for the design, construction, furnishing, and equipping of a modern printing press for the National Assembly.

Further scrutiny of the National Assembly’s budget shows that N78.624 billion has been allocated for the House of Representatives, N49.145 billion for the Senate, and N36.727 billion for the National Assembly Office. Other significant allocations include N30.807 billion for General Services, N20.388 billion for Legislative Aides, and N15.189 billion for a Service Wide Vote. Moreover, N15 billion has been allocated for the National Assembly Hospital Project, N12.326 billion for the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC), and N9.008 billion for the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS). The budget also includes N4.500 billion for the completion of an ongoing NILDS building project.

Out of the total budget of N28.7 trillion, N1.74 trillion has been allocated for statutory transfers, N8.27 trillion for debt service, N8.76 trillion for recurrent (Non-debt) expenditure, and N9.99 trillion for capital expenditure for the year ending December 31, 2024.

The allocations have raised eyebrows, given the country’s mounting debt and the need for prudent financial management. Critics argue that such significant allocations for non-essential projects amidst Nigeria’s economic challenges could further strain the country’s finances and hinder efforts to address pressing socio-economic needs.

The ICIR