Abstract:
This study interrogated capital budget implementation and infrastructural development in Nigeria since the emergence of the current democratic dispensation in May 1999. Specifically, the study first determined whether poor capital budget implementation account for poor development of the transportation sector in Nigeria. Secondly, it assessed how low allocation of fund to capital budget is implicated in poor power generation in Nigeria; and finally, the study determined whether heavy reliance on oil revenue for capital budget undermined provision of health facilities in Nigeria. Thus, the central questions in this study were: (a) Does poor capital budget implementation account for poor development of the transport sector in Nigeria? (b) Is low allocation of fund to capital budget implicated in the low power generation in Nigeria? (c) Has Nigeria’s heavy reliance on oil revenue for financing capital budget undermined provision of healthcare facilities? The Marxist theory of the post-colonial State was used as framework of analysis. The survey method which comprised interviews was employed; while the documentary method with reliance on data from sources like official documents, organizational reports, independent media reports, books, journals and other articles was also adopted. Data analysis was based on qualitative analysis and the adoption of the ex-post facto research design. The findings of the study demonstrated that poor capital budget implementation accounted for poor development of the transport sector in Nigeria; that low allocation of fund to capital budget was implicated in the low power generation in Nigeria, and that heavy reliance on oil revenue for financing capital budget undermined provision of healthcare facilities in Nigeria. The study recommended, among others, that there is also the need to consider making a law that will set legal timelines for all aspects of budget making including preparation, presentation, consideration, approval and signing.
