The senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has called on President Bola Tinubu to ensure that the proposed ₦58.18 trillion 2026 budget delivers real and measurable improvements in the lives of Nigerians, rather than remaining impressive figures on paper.

Reacting to the president’s presentation of the 2026 Appropriation Bill at a joint sitting of the National Assembly on Friday, Akpoti-Uduaghan described the session as important but cautioned against focusing too much on the size of the budget instead of its impact.

She stressed that while the proposed spending plan reflects the scale of Nigeria’s economic challenges and ambitions, fiscal size alone cannot solve deep-rooted development problems.

“Of all the lengthy speeches, one line by Mr President struck me deeply. It’s not the size of the budget but the quantum of impact felt by Nigerians,” the senator said.

According to her, ordinary Nigerians are less concerned about trillion-naira projections and more interested in how government spending translates into better living conditions. She noted that citizens expect budgets to bring sustainable jobs, reliable infrastructure, affordable healthcare, quality education, and accessible social services.

Akpoti-Uduaghan further emphasised that accountability must be a shared responsibility, insisting that leaders must deliver on promises while citizens must actively demand transparency and results.

“Leaders must do better, and citizens must demand accountability,” she stated.

As a member of the Senate Committee on Finance, the lawmaker has consistently pushed for fiscal transparency, prudent management of public resources, and people-centred budgeting. Her remarks reflect growing concerns within and outside the National Assembly that Nigeria’s expanding budgets have not always produced matching improvements in welfare, productivity, and social stability.

President Tinubu, while presenting the budget titled “Budget of Consolidation, Renewed Resilience and Shared Prosperity,” defended his administration’s economic reforms, saying they were beginning to show results. He cited economic growth of 3.98 per cent in the third quarter of 2025, easing inflation, improved oil production, stronger non-oil revenues, and renewed investor confidence.

The president also pledged stricter budget discipline, tougher revenue enforcement, and a firm security stance, declaring that all armed non-state actors would be treated as terrorists under his administration.

However, as lawmakers begin deliberations on the proposal, voices like Akpoti-Uduaghan’s are insisting that the true measure of the 2026 budget will not be macroeconomic statistics alone, but the tangible impact felt by Nigerian households and communities across the country.