President Bola Tinubu’s government, through the ministry of information, has allocated over N100 million of taxpayers’ money for the mobilisation of bloggers, influencers, other stakeholders, town hall meetings and media lobby.

A review of the 2026 budget shows that the ministry of information will spend N14 million on “weekly ministerial briefing” and “institutional interaction with stakeholders,” including “bloggers,” online publishers, the NUJ, NAWOJ, among others.

The ministry also allocated N21 million to facilitate ministerial media appearances, mobilisation of pro-government “influencers” and radio and TV analysts.

“Town hall meeting on topical issues” will gulp N30,800,000, while “quarterly interaction with foreign media, PR lobby” will cost N21 million.

“Developing social media platforms and networking with other platforms” will gulp N24,300,933, while production of jingles, documentaries and airtime will cost N28 million.

Nationwide opinion poll surveys will cost N12,600,000, hosting, management and upgrade of the ministry’s websites will gulp N37,450,356, while “production of yearly federal government wall calendars” will cost N42,141,036.

“Production of yearly federal government wall calendars” appears twice in the line items; additionally, “production of yearly federal government wall calendars” will cost N42,141,036, while “production of yearly federal government wall calendars” was earlier referenced under stakeholder engagement.

A rough summation of these line items in the ministry of information’s 2026 budget shows that over N200 million of taxpayers’ money will be expended.

Meanwhile, a recent report by PricewaterhouseCoopers on Nigeria’s economic outlook for 2026 projected that Nigeria’s poverty rate will reach 62 per cent, affecting 141 million people out of the over 200 million population.

“Poverty is projected to rise to 62 per cent (141 million people) by 2026, reflecting weak real income growth and lingering inflation effects,” the PwC report stated.