The ₦1 Billion Constituency Project Question: Why Nigerians Must Stop Mistaking Public Funds for Political Benevolence
There is a growing conversation in Nigeria about the enormous sums attached to constituency projects and what they mean for accountability, representation and the increasingly fierce competition for elective office.
An Osun State political figure and former House of Representatives aspirant, Ayodele Asalu, recently made a striking claim that has reignited the debate. Speaking to supporters, he alleged that a member of the House of Representatives now has constituency projects worth at least ₦1 billion, while senators receive not less than ₦2 billion for projects in their respective constituencies and senatorial districts.
Asalu also claimed that these allocations were considerably lower before the recent increase in government revenues following the removal of the petrol subsidy under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration. His remarks quickly generated public discussion, particularly because of the implication that some projects presented to constituents as personal achievements may actually be financed with public funds.
However, there is an important distinction that Nigerians must understand: constituency project allocations are not personal cash gifts to lawmakers. They are budgetary allocations for projects nominated by legislators but implemented through government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
The House of Representatives itself disputed the blanket claim that every federal lawmaker personally receives ₦1 billion in cash for constituency projects. In May 2025, House spokesperson Akin Rotimi described the claim as misleading and explained that the budgeting and implementation process is more complicated than the popular narrative suggests.
At the same time, there is evidence that the value of constituency projects has increased substantially. A 2025 analysis by the International Centre for Investigative Reporting found that constituency projects, otherwise known as Zonal Intervention Projects (ZIPs), are inserted into the federal budget and implemented through MDAs. The 2024 budget contained more than 1,000 such projects worth about ₦100 billion.
More recently, budget analysis of the 2025 appropriation showed a far larger constituency-project envelope, with BudgIT identifying thousands of projects inserted into the federal budget.
There have also been conflicting accounts from lawmakers themselves. In 2025, Rep. Ime Okon explained that the ₦1 billion figure represented the value of constituency projects attached to a federal constituency rather than ₦1 billion being handed directly to an individual lawmaker.
This distinction is crucial.
Therefore, when a lawmaker constructs a road, supplies equipment, renovates a school, provides water or distributes other interventions under a constituency project, constituents should not automatically assume that the politician personally financed the project.
It is public money.
And that makes accountability even more important.
If billions of naira are being committed to projects across constituencies and senatorial districts, Nigerians have every right to ask: What was approved? How much was budgeted? Which ministry is implementing it? Who received the contract? Was the project completed? And does the quality justify the amount spent?
This is ultimately not about attacking lawmakers. It is about changing the mindset of the electorate.
A politician should not receive extraordinary praise for spending public money on the people who elected him. That is part of the responsibility attached to public office.
Perhaps Nigeria should even reconsider whether constituency-project funds are the most effective way to deliver grassroots development. The money could potentially be directed through stronger national programmes for social protection, basic healthcare, housing support, education and public infrastructure—particularly for the poorest Nigerians.
At a time when citizens are struggling with the consequences of higher living costs, it is reasonable to question whether increased public allocations are delivering sufficient value to ordinary Nigerians.
The message should therefore be simple: do not mistake public resources for personal generosity.
If the money belongs to the people, then the people must demand value for every naira.
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