BudgIT flags widespread opacity across Nigeria’s 774 councils, warning that lack of access undermines accountability at the grassroots…..
A new report by civic tech organisation BudgIT has revealed a significant transparency gap in Nigeria’s local government system, with only 10 states currently providing accessible budget data for their Local Government Areas (LGAs).
The report, titled “The Missing Tier: Mapping Local Government Budget Transparency in Nigeria,” paints a troubling picture: while six states offer partial or outdated information, the majority 18 states publish no LGA budget data at all.
A system hidden in plain sight
According to BudgIT, local government budgets are routinely prepared and approved across the country. Council chairmen submit appropriation bills, which are passed by local legislatures, while funding flows monthly from the federation account.
Yet despite this structured process, most of these budgets remain inaccessible to the public.
“Across Nigeria’s 774 LGAs, these documents exist but are rarely published online,” the organisation noted.
States leading the way
A handful of states have emerged as leaders in transparency.
Ekiti State stands out as a model, publishing detailed 2026 budgets for all its 16 LGAs and 22 LCDAs. These include signed documents, consultation records, and structured financial data.
Cross River State also earned praise for releasing not just budgets, but audited accounts and quarterly performance reports for its councils.
Similarly, Borno State provides consolidated budgets alongside detailed planning documents and audited financial statements, reflecting a more established system of disclosure.
Other states making budget information available include:
- Ebonyi State
- Osun State
- Kebbi State
- Kogi State
- Enugu State
- Kaduna State
- Yobe State
However, the depth and quality of disclosures vary widely across these states.
Partial transparency still a concern
BudgIT identified six states where LGA data is either incomplete or outdated.
For example:
- Kano State publishes quarterly reports but lacks full-year budgets
- Imo State provides financial statements but no budgets
- Ondo State has limited coverage across LGAs
- Anambra State released only high-level appropriation laws
- Ogun State shared outdated data
These gaps, the report says, limit meaningful public scrutiny.
Majority of states remain opaque
More concerning is the large number of states where no LGA budget information is publicly available.
These include:
- Lagos State
- Rivers State
- Oyo State
- Delta State
- Edo State
- Benue State
- Akwa Ibom State
- Katsina State
- Sokoto State
- Zamfara State
…and several others, highlighting a nationwide issue.
Why transparency matters
BudgIT stressed that the problem is not the absence of budgets, but the lack of public access to them.
Making these documents available, the organisation said, would:
- Help citizens understand government priorities
- Enable scrutiny of spending
- Strengthen accountability at the grassroots
Without transparency, accountability effectively stops at the state level leaving the tier closest to citizens largely unchecked.
A question of political will
The organisation argued that publishing LGA budgets is neither technically difficult nor expensive, especially since many state governments already make their own budgets public.
Instead, the real issue is commitment.
“The difference is not capacity, it is choice,” BudgIT stated, adding that examples from more transparent states show that open governance at the local level is both achievable and sustainable.
The bigger picture
As Nigeria continues to grapple with governance and development challenges, the report underscores a critical gap in accountability.
For millions of citizens who rely on local governments for basic services, access to budget information could be a powerful tool, one that determines whether public funds truly serve the people or remain hidden from scrutiny.
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