The National Identity Management Commission and nine other federal ministries, departments, and agencies are expected to spend around N24 billion on software projects in 2026.

According to the Federal Government’s 2026 Appropriation Bill, a total of 115 MDAs have allocations for software acquisition this year.

Among them, these 10 agencies are the largest spenders, with funding earmarked for sectors including identity management, education, mining, cybersecurity, health, finance, and immigration.

However, the substantial allocation comes amid concerns over recurring wastages and frequent abuse of IT procurement processes by MDAs.

Data from the 2026 Appropriation Bill shows that NIMC alone accounts for the largest single software allocation among the top 10 spending MDAs.

According to the budget breakdown, NIMC is set to spend N7.58 billion on software in 2026, making it the highest allocation among federal MDAs.

It is closely followed by the Federal Ministry of Education (Headquarters), with a proposed software budget of N7.55 billion, reflecting ongoing efforts to digitise education administration and data systems.

Other significant allocations include the Mining Cadastral Office, which will spend N2.23 billion, and the Geological Survey Agency of Nigeria, with N1.32 billion earmarked for software.

The National Cybercrime Coordination Centre is set to receive N1.26 billion, highlighting the government’s efforts to enhance cybersecurity coordination and combat digital crime.

In the health sector, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Abuja, has N1.23 billion allocated for software, while the Federal Ministry of Finance (Headquarters) is expected to spend N1.09 billion.

The Nigeria Immigration Service is earmarked N1.01 billion, and the Budget Office of the Federation completes the list with N827.14 million.

Several stakeholders in Nigeria’s ICT industry have raised concerns over the annual practice of allocating billions of naira for software by government MDAs, often without corresponding improvements in service delivery to the public.