By Emmanuel Thomas l Wednesday, July 22.2026
NIGERIAN politicians have sparked outrage after sneaking nearly ONE BILLION NAIRA into the national budget—to buy amplifiers, drums, and electric guitars for local churches.
In one of the most bizarre uses of taxpayers’ cash ever seen, top brass in West Africa’s most populous nation claim that buying musical instruments for clergymen will somehow stop youngsters from turning to violent crime and drug dealing.
Critics have branded the African nation an absolute “joke” after details of the astonishing spending spree emerged, leading to an desperate PR exercise from the government’s elite.
The scandal erupted over a massive funding scheme cooked up in the 2026 national budget by Rt Hon Dr Benjamin Okezie Kalu, the Deputy Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives.
Media leaks originally exposed a staggering 1 Billion Naira budget item earmarked purely to dish out musical gear to churches across Kalu’s home constituency of Bende, in Abia State.
Panicked officials rushed out a frantic official statement trying to cool down the uproar.
Levinus Nwabughiogu, Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Speaker, issued a defensive statement insisting the public had got it all wrong.
He claimed the budget isn’t actually a billion Naira—it is only 780 million Naira (£380,000) once tax and VAT are taken off.
According to the Deputy Speaker’s office, the massive pile of public cash is part of a “Youth Re-orientation and Social Support” scheme delivered “evangelistically.”
Out of more than 200 places of worship in the district, 130 churches have been hand-picked to receive a staggering 5 million to 6 million Naira EACH.
And what is this fortune being spent on?
Official documents state the money will buy “evangelical instruments and public address systems”.
In a bizarre defence, politicians claimed that blasting tunes and sermons out of brand-new church speakers will magically stop kids taking drugs, commiting sex attacks, and joining violent criminal gangs.
The release bizarrely claimed: “Nation-building must go beyond roads and physical infrastructure. Government must also invest in building the character and value system of the people… using various value delivery platforms.”
Critics argue that using state funds to buy guitars for preachy pastors—in a country plagued by crumbling hospitals, broken roads, and blackouts—is a kick in the teeth for hard-working citizens.
Making matters worse, officials admitted they botched the official paperwork in the first place, blaming a “technical error” in the description of the massive spend-up.
A formal “letter of corrigendum” has had to be rushed to the budget office to fix the embarrassing mistake before the money gets handed out.
In a desperate bid to defend the scheme, the Deputy Speaker’s office claimed that handing out cash to churches was nothing new in other parts of Nigeria, but hadn’t yet “gained currency” in their region.
They pleaded with the public to ignore “sensational reports” and insisted that buying loudspeakers for faith groups is a legitimate “non-kinetic approach” to bringing peace and order.
A BUDGET THAT DOESN’T EXIST YET
In a further twist of political chaos, the Deputy Speaker’s team admitted the 2026 budget hasn’t even been funded yet—because Nigeria is still running on its old 2024 and 2025 budgets!
Despite the cash not even existing yet, politicians are already squabbling over how to hand out millions to local religious leaders.
Angry citizens and political commentators have slammed the move as nothing more than a blatant attempt to buy votes and keep local church leaders sweet ahead of future elections.
While millions of ordinary Nigerians struggle to put food on the table, their political leaders seem convinced that the secret to national prosperity isn’t fixing the economy—it’s buying heavy-metal sound systems for the local vicar.
