President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday laid before the National Assembly a historic N58.18 trillion 2026 Appropriation Bill, Nigeria’s largest budget proposal to date, as his administration seeks to steady the economy and respond to rising public pressure for relief, jobs and improved public services.

Presenting the budget to a joint sitting of the Senate and House of Representatives, Tinubu outlined a fiscal agenda anchored on economic stabilisation, growth, infrastructure renewal and social welfare, while acknowledging the constraints posed by inflation, debt servicing and weak revenues.

But beyond the headline figures, Senator Natasha Hadiza Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central said the real test of the budget lies in its impact on ordinary Nigerians.

Reacting after the presentation, the senator said one statement from the President stood out amid the lengthy address.

“It’s not the size of the budget but the quanta of impact felt by Nigerians,” she quoted, adding that the line captured the central question confronting the country.

According to Akpoti-Uduaghan, while the scale of the N58.18 trillion proposal reflects the depth of Nigeria’s economic challenges and ambitions, citizens are less interested in record numbers than in outcomes that touch their everyday lives.

“Nigerians want to see results,” she said. “Budgets should translate into better living conditions, jobs for young people, reliable infrastructure, affordable healthcare, quality education and social services that actually work.”

She stressed that achieving these outcomes requires more than government promises, insisting that accountability must be actively demanded by the public.

“Leaders must do better, and citizens must demand accountability,” the senator said, calling for greater civic engagement and oversight of budget implementation.

Analysts at the National Assembly noted that the budget presentation marks the beginning of a rigorous legislative process, with committees expected to scrutinise revenue assumptions, debt sustainability, sectoral priorities and the credibility of implementation plans.

As a member of the Senate Committee on Finance, Akpoti-Uduaghan has built a reputation for pushing transparency, fiscal discipline and people-focused spending. Observers say her comments reflect growing public frustration with budgets that appear ambitious on paper but deliver limited relief at the grassroots.

With debates on the 2026 Appropriation Bill set to intensify, Nigerians will be watching closely to see whether the Tinubu administration can turn its biggest-ever budget into measurable improvements across communities—proving that impact, not size, is the true measure of success. (The Guardian)

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