Nollywood actress and activist, Hilda Dokubo, has launched a blistering attack on Nigeria’s political leadership, accusing those in power of turning the nation’s treasury into a private cash reserve while millions of citizens struggle for basic necessities.
In a fiery video message, Dokubo alleged that the 2026 budget contains trillions of naira in questionable and inflated projects, describing the situation as an affront to Nigerians who continue to battle poverty, inadequate water supply, poor electricity and insecurity.
Citing figures she attributed to BudgetIT, the actress alleged that about N6.9 trillion had been padded into the national budget through questionable or redundant projects.
But it was the alleged allocations for streetlights and boreholes that appeared to provoke her strongest reaction.
Dokubo questioned an alleged N393 billion allocation for 1,477 streetlights, asking why a single streetlight could cost as much as N266 million.
“Where are the poles going to—heaven?” she asked sarcastically, questioning the justification for such expenditure.
She also raised questions over an alleged N1.14 billion allocation for 538 bulbs, wondering whether the projects were being priced as though the installations required extraordinary technology.
Turning to water projects, Dokubo questioned an alleged N114 billion allocation for 538 boreholes, asking why communities that desperately need clean water should receive projects at such extraordinary costs.
She recalled that growing up in Port Harcourt, access to water through public water systems was taken for granted, contrasting that experience with the present reality where many Nigerians depend on boreholes and polluted water sources.
“What kind of boreholes will cost this amount?” she asked, suggesting sarcastically that the facilities might be expected to produce something far beyond ordinary water.
Dokubo also criticised an alleged N505 billion allocation for 2,122 ICT projects, questioning whether such spending represents genuine technological investment or another avenue for waste.
Her anger extended to an alleged N6.7 billion allocation for the empowerment of traditional rulers, which she questioned in light of the country’s broader economic difficulties.
She challenged policymakers to explain what constitutes empowerment when ordinary Nigerians, particularly young people and women, continue to struggle economically.
The actress painted a grim picture of communities across the country, asking Nigerians to imagine a farmer without access to clean water, a mother whose child is exposed to waterborne diseases and a business owner struggling in darkness and insecurity.
Yet, she argued, government officials continue to announce projects whose costs appear disconnected from the realities faced by ordinary citizens.
Dokubo described the alleged pattern as “not governance” but a betrayal of public trust.
“Leadership is not just a position. It is a trust. It is a call to service,” she declared.
She also took aim at what she described as the growing social acceptance of corruption, arguing that Nigerians have become accustomed to giving powerful people respectable titles even when they are accused of stealing public resources.
According to her, African communities traditionally subjected thieves to public condemnation, but modern society has instead elevated people accused of corruption into positions of influence and prestige.
Dokubo urged Nigerians to reject ethnic and religious divisions, which she described as tools of political manipulation, and unite around demands for transparency and accountability.
“We may be acting helpless, but we cannot be helpless and we are not helpless,” she said.
She called on citizens to demand that every naira spent by government be properly accounted for and urged Nigerians to continue using their voices and lawful civic channels to challenge alleged abuse of public resources.
Her message ended with a direct call for action, as she insisted that Nigerians must no longer remain silent while public resources are allegedly diverted from projects that directly affect citizens’ lives.
“The time for action is now,” she declared.
