N1 Billion Digital Ghost Project: Taraba Budget Pads Empowerment with Zero Details, Same Old Tricks

Bulmun Dakwal

A look into the Taraba State 2026 budget has raised broader concerns about the structure, clarity, and credibility of several government spending lines, with patterns across different ministries that point to repeated issues of vague project descriptions, and the reintroduction of previously unexecuted items.

At the center of these concerns is a N1 billion allocation under the Ministry of Digital Economy & Innovation for “Digital Literacy and Capacity Building in 16 LGAs for Women and Youth.” The programme is presented as a huge empowerment initiative aimed at improving digital skills among women and young people across local government areas. However, despite its scale, the budget provides no breakdown of how the funds will be implemented, how many beneficiaries are expected, or what the unit cost per participant would be.

On paper, the N1 billion provision translates to approximately N62.5 million per local government area. While this figure could, in theory, support structured digital training programmes depending on the design and scope, the absence of a clear specifications makes it difficult to independently verify whether the allocation reflects realistic programme planning.

The concern is further amplified by the presence of previous 2025 budget attached to the budget line. Alongside the 2026 N1 billion allocation, the budget for previous year budgeted at N350 million with a budget performance of N98 million from January to September.

A similar pattern of concern emerges within the Ministry of Justice, where budget lines show both repetition and ambiguity in project design. One such entry is the “Purchase of 50 No. Law Books & Journals,” which in the 2025 budget carried an allocation of N50 million. According to budget records, this earlier provision was not utilized. Despite this, a new allocation of N25 million has been reintroduced for the same purpose in the 2026 budget.

The reappearance of this item raises questions about implementation and budget delivery within the ministry. In standard budgeting practice, unspent capital allocations are typically either rolled over with justification, restructured based on updated needs, or accompanied by explanations detailing why execution did not occur.

Even more significant is another budget line under the same ministry titled “Provision for Witness Support Fund,” which carries a proposed allocation of N500 million. Beyond the description, the budget provides no further details to explain how the fund is intended to function.

In principle, witness support funds are a recognized component of justice systems globally. They are typically designed to support individuals involved in legal proceedings by covering transportation costs, accommodation during trials, subsistence allowances, and in some cases, protection measures for witnesses in sensitive or high risk cases. However, such systems are usually governed by strict guidelines due to their sensitive nature and potential exposure to abuse.

In the absence of such details, several key questions remain unanswered. The budget does not specify the number of expected beneficiaries, the categories of cases eligible for support, the institutional framework responsible for managing disbursements. Without these details, it becomes difficult to tell whether the N500 million allocation is based on a documented caseload or it was estimated based on assumptions.

When looked into, the budgets across both ministries reveal a recurring theme that extends beyond individual line items. Large allocations are presented without sufficient breakdowns, previously unspent approved budgets are reintroduced without clear explanation.