Nigeria’s 2026 Federal Capital Territory (FCT) budget, totaling ₦460.737 billion, has sparked fresh debate over inequality in Abuja’s development priorities, following revelations that ₦335 billion — about 73 percent of the entire budget — is earmarked for the affluent Maitama district.
Budget details show that ₦300 billion is allocated for infrastructure maintenance in Maitama II, while another ₦35 billion is set aside for new developments in the same district. Maitama is already one of Abuja’s most developed and exclusive neighbourhoods, hosting top government officials, diplomats, and high-value real estate.
In sharp contrast, satellite towns and rural communities across the FCT received comparatively modest allocations. A striking example is Kuje Area Council, where just ₦140 million was budgeted for the provision of solar-powered boreholes in selected public primary schools—a figure critics say underscores the imbalance in spending priorities.
Civil society groups and urban development analysts argue that the budget reinforces long-standing disparities between Abuja’s city centre and its satellite towns, many of which struggle with poor road networks, lack of potable water, overstretched schools, and inadequate healthcare facilities. They contend that prioritising massive maintenance spending in already well-serviced districts undermines inclusive development and contradicts the spirit of the Abuja master plan.
Although the 2026 budget includes allocations for road construction across area councils, water projects in satellite towns, and transport infrastructure, critics maintain that the scale and concentration of funding in Maitama overshadows these interventions and raises serious questions about equity, social justice, and governance priorities in the nation’s capital.
As public scrutiny grows, the ₦460.737 billion FCT budget is fast becoming a symbol of a broader national conversation: who truly benefits from public spending in Abuja, and at what cost to communities left on the margins?
Abuja Network News
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