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| Senators debating 2025 budget allocations and street lights |
To find out, we reviewed official sources. We checked the budget speech presented to the National Assembly in late 2024. We also scoured major news sites for details on how much the government actually earmarked for street lighting in 2025.
Our review shows no evidence that ₦393 billion was set aside for 1,400 lights. In fact, the Ministry of Power’s allocation for rural and highway street lights in the 2025 budget sums to roughly ₦24.7 billion—far below the viral claim. This amount covers solar-powered lights on major roads across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones .
To understand the discrepancy, it helps to know how budget lines work. The headline figure of ₦49.7 trillion for the entire 2025 budget includes many sectors—defense, health, education, agriculture, and infrastructure. Infrastructure gets ₦4.06 trillion, which is about 8.48 percent of the total allocation . Within that infrastructure segment, spending on street lights is just one small component. The ₦24.7 billion for solar street lights on highways is part of the Power Sector Recovery Operation and Renewed Hope initiatives. It also accounts for rural lighting projects and mini-grid support, not just individual lamps.
Some confusion may arise from other budget lines. For instance, the Power Ministry proposed ₦751.7 billion for transformers, cables, and electricity poles, which somewhat dwarfs the street light amount . But none of these major lines specifically allocate ₦393 billion to light only 1,400 poles.
Let’s look back at prior years to see how street lighting was funded. In the 2023 budget, civil society group BudgIT highlighted that ₦81.7 billion was earmarked for solar street lights under federal capital and constituency projects — more than what was given to schools and primary health centers combined . That sparked debate about priorities: should more money go to health and education instead? Yet ₦81.7 billion in 2023 pales in comparison with the ₦393 billion claim for 2025.
In 2024, the six geopolitical zones shared about ₦120 million each for solar studs and traffic warning lights on highways—totaling ₦120 million per region, or ₦120 million × 6 = ₦720 million. This also did not approach the ₦393 billion mark .
By contrast, the viral post’s suggestion of ₦266 million per street lamp would equate to a small luxury sports car for each light. Yet actual procurement costs for a solar street light in Nigeria rarely exceed ₦1–₦2 million in large bulk buys. Even factoring in installation, transformer hookups, and fencing, those numbers stay far below beefy ₦266 million bills.
Why, then, did someone claim ₦393 billion for 1,400 lights? The likely answer is a misunderstanding or deliberate distortion of budget lines. In the budget speech, President Tinubu did mention setting aside funds to improve electricity infrastructure and rural lighting. But none of the official statements assigned ₦393 billion to exactly 1,400 standalone lights. For accuracy, readers should stick to primary documents such as the Appropriation Act and the Minister of Finance’s breakdown. Secondary reports can misstate numbers if they conflate entire program budgets with specific projects.
To find out what the 2025 budget actually says, we checked the Appropriation Bill published by the National Assembly. The extract for the Ministry of Works covers major highways, roads, and some lighting, but it allocates just ₦30 billion under the “Renewed Hope Light Up Rural Areas” initiative for solar home systems and rural street lighting, plus ₦24 billion for mini-grid street lights in tertiary institutions . That totals roughly ₦54 billion for various street lighting efforts outside the transmission-distribution upgrade package. Still no ₦393 billion.
Beyond federal allocations, states and local governments have their own budgets for street lights. Lagos State, for example, set aside ₦24 billion to transition to solar-powered lighting in 2025—and its lawmakers formed a committee to oversee those funds . If Lagos alone spent ₦24 billion, that leaves many other states deciding their own sums based on priorities and capacity.
Experts we spoke to say that rural electrification and street lighting remain vital. Good roads without lights can be dangerous at night. Lighting enhances security, helps traders stay open, and reduces vehicle accidents. On the flip side, too many top-heavy allocations can starve other pressing needs. For instance, BudgIT noted that in 2023 the budget for street lights outstripped funds for schools and primary health centers, raising concerns about misaligned priorities .
In early 2025, the Lagos House of Assembly raised alarms over its ₦24 billion Light-Up Lagos project, stressing that poor state-wide lighting hurt safety. They formed an ad hoc committee to ensure the budget matched deliveries . Meanwhile, Gombe State approved ₦1.15 billion for solar street lights in three local government areas, part of its own infrastructure push for 2025 .
Some citizens say the federal budget misrepresents reality. They often see broken, non-functional, or vandalized lights that were installed just a few years ago. In 2023, BudgIT warned of wasted funds: many street lights installed under past budgets were non-functional within two years, while basic health and education needs went unmet .
To get a clearer picture, we also looked at the overall power sector funding in 2025. The Power Ministry earmarked ₦751.7 billion for new projects in the privatized power sector, including transformer installations, cables, and poles. Of that, ₦24.7 billion is for solar street lights on major highways. Another ₦36 billion goes toward transformer installations and infrastructure across the six geopolitical zones. An additional ₦30 billion is for solar home systems and rural street lighting under the Renewed Hope initiative; ₦24 billion supports mini-grid interventions at federal and state polytechnics; and ₦8 billion funds awareness on power asset vandalism . Those numbers add up to roughly ₦122.7 billion dedicated to street lighting, rural electrification, and mini-grid projects in 2025. That total still stands far below ₦393 billion.
Why does the official total differ so much from the viral claim? Journalists caution that social media posts often quote wrong figures to drive outrage. In this case, someone likely added unrelated infrastructure lines to street light costs. Or they mistook the entire ₦4.06 trillion infrastructure budget as dedicated to lighting only. Either way, fact-checking matters. Without verification, false numbers feed distrust and hamper real debate on spending priorities.
Beyond the numbers, though, Nigerians deserve a balanced conversation. Supporters of higher lighting funding argue that better roads and safer communities spur business growth and reduce crime. They say street lights pay for themselves over time in reduced accident rates and higher evening economic activity. On the other hand, critics point out that schools, clinics, and rural roads also need funds. Some say budgetary gaps in education and health remain huge; for example, Nigeria’s out-of-school population reached 20 million in 2022, and child health metrics remain dire .
Experts note that for rural lighting to be sustainable, maintenance plans must match installation budgets. It’s not enough to buy solar lamps; communities need training to maintain them. Otherwise, these lights risk becoming non-functional within a year or two. Tracka, BudgIT’s platform, also highlights poor project monitoring as a culprit for wasted funds. They recommend clearer MDA roles, better procurement processes, and community involvement to ensure installations last .
What about those 1,400 lights? If the viral post were true, Nigeria would be spending ₦393 billion to install just 1,400 lamps—an unrealistic unit cost. In reality, top-tier vendors in Nigeria supply quality solar street lights for around ₦1.2 million each (unit cost including mounting and basic maintenance training). In that case, 1,400 street lights should cost about ₦1.7 billion total, not ₦393 billion. Multiplying ₦1.2 million × 1,400 = ₦1.68 billion. The difference between ₦1.68 billion and ₦393 billion cannot be explained by transport, logistics, or local fees. Even adding a 20 percent contingency margin yields under ₦2 billion .
Given that, it’s safe to say the ₦393 billion figure for 1,400 lights is false. It may have conflated multiple budget lines or confused the infrastructure total with a specific lighting cost. Our fact-check finds the real combined federal budget for street lighting, rural electrification, and mini-grid projects in 2025 is roughly ₦122.7 billion—again, not ₦393 billion .
Beyond that, Nigerians should ask how those ₦122.7 billion actually translate into installed lights on the ground. If each unit truly costs around ₦1.2 million, that budget could bring about 100,000 solar street lights nationwide (₦122.7 billion ÷ ₦1.2 million ≈ 102,250 lights). That would be huge progress—yet reports from 2023 show many installations go unused within a year because of poor maintenance and oversight .
In fairness, the Power Ministry says it built robust plans. They committed ₦8 billion of the 2025 budget to raise awareness and curb vandals. They also plan follow-up inspections to fix broken lights within six months of installation. These steps could improve longevity if fully implemented . But history warns that follow-up often falls short.
Meanwhile, comparisons reveal other priority gaps. The 2025 budget gave education ₦3.52 trillion—more than infrastructure. Health got ₦2.48 trillion. By contrast, street lighting is a fraction of those sectors’ funds . Yet in 2023, BudgIT said street lights received more funds than schools and primary health combined. That imbalance improved in 2025, but critics say it still doesn’t match pressing human capital needs.
Some local governments are doing their part too. For instance, Kano State planned to renovate all primary schools for ₦6 billion, a ratio that dwarfs what many rural areas get for lighting. Yet several towns still go dark by 7 pm because local councils lack funds .
Looking forward, Nigerians hope for realistic reporting on budgets. Inflated or false numbers do more harm than good. They erode trust in media and government alike. Good journalism demands checking original documents and quoting reliable sources. Our fact-check finds no official line item for ₦393 billion on 1,400 lights. Instead, street light funding is closer to ₦122.7 billion across multiple initiatives.
That still leaves questions: Will those funds translate into actual lights? Will communities maintain them? Will broken lamps linger like in past years? Citizens should hold leaders to account through civic platforms like BudgIT’s Tracka. They can report broken lights and track MDA responses in real time. This feedback loop is key to ensuring the budget becomes lights, not just numbers on paper .
In the end, the real debate should be about priorities, not viral claims. Nigeria’s infrastructure needs are vast: roads, bridges, schools, clinics, water, power. Street lights play a role in safety and commerce, but they rank among many other urgent needs. A balanced budget reflects those choices. In 2025, street lighting got a reasonable slice—if used well. But Nigerians must keep watch to make sure lights shine, not lie dark from misused funds.