The proposed 2026 budget of the Federal Government has sparked controversy with its allocation of funds to a maritime anti-corruption task force that has been effectively inactive for some time. The budget reveals a pattern where administrative and low-impact items receive priority while national critical maritime infrastructure projects suffer from severe underfunding.
Funding for a Defunct Task Force and Administrative Priorities
Despite its physical absence following the retirement of its head, Moses Fadipe, the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network (MACN) has been allocated N18.9 million in the 2026 budget estimates. An additional N10.5 million is earmarked for anti-corruption and transparency initiatives within the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy and its agencies.
The ministry's headquarters is set to receive N10.5 billion for its core operations out of a total ministry budget of N149.2 billion. A significant portion of this headquarters fund is designated for administrative expenses, including:
- N233.52 million for vehicle procurement, featuring two Toyota Land Cruisers for the minister and permanent secretary, seven Innoson pickup vans, and seven CNG-powered staff buses.
- N83 million for sports-related activities, equipment, and participation in the Federation of Public Service Games (FEPSGA).
- N45.5 million for the Presidential Standing Committee on Private Jetties.
Critical Maritime Projects Receive Paltry Sums
In stark contrast to the administrative allocations, essential infrastructure and regulatory projects have been marginalized with meager funding. Key areas affected include:
- Development of inland dry ports: N3.5 million
- Port modernisation projects: N7 million
- Rehabilitation of eastern seaports: N3.5 million
- Assessment of freight charges for ease of doing business: N3.5 million
- Implementation of the Coastal and Inland Shipping (Cabotage) Act, 2003: N15.26 million
Navigation safety also received limited funding, with N8.4 million each for bathymetric assessments of channels at Apapa Port, Lagos, and Onne Port, Port Harcourt.
Other Notable Allocations and Agency Shifts
The budget document outlines several other specific allocations, including N14 million for new seaports and inland waterways, N14.36 million for processes to establish a national carrier, and N28 million for assessment visits to ports nationwide.
Furthermore, N25.41 million is provided for a Ministerial Marine Board of Inquiry into ship mishaps, and N26.39 million for sensitising boat operators on safety. An allocation of N18.36 million is dedicated to engagements with key agencies under the ministry's supervision.
In a significant structural shift, the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) has been moved to the Ministry of Transport for its 2026 funding, receiving an allocation of N1.54 billion. Had this allocation remained with the Marine and Blue Economy Ministry, its total budget would have been N150.74 billion.
The budget, dated January 14, 2026, highlights a continuing challenge in Nigeria's fiscal planning: the disparity between funding for operational bureaucracy and the capital investment required to drive economic growth in critical sectors like maritime and blue economy.
