An Empirical Diagnosis of the Maladies and Therapies of Public Budgeting in Nigeria

Abstract

“The budget of a nation is a crucial component of its economic development plan, as it reflects the core values and objectives of the government's economic policies, and is expected to deliver the desires of the public. Despite this, Nigeria's budget has failed to deliver the desired benefits for over three decades, indicating the presence of violations that have yet to be confirmed empirically. This article aims to identify the infractions unique to Nigeria's budget system and propose solutions. Data was gathered by surveying government agencies and the general public, and the Mann-Whitney U test was used to assess consistency in perception between the two groups. The study revealed that budget indiscipline, official corruption, poor allocation efficiency, and inadequate budget governance are the most significant violations in Nigeria's budgeting process. Therefore, the study recommends budget transparency, target budgeting, zero tolerance for corruption, and budgetary discipline as the most effective remedies for addressing the shortcomings in Nigeria's budgetary system”.