Senate Press Corps targets budget padding, holds workshop on oversight, AI

The Senate Press Corps (SPC) is set to host a capacity-building workshop on September 28, 2026. The event will take place at the National Assembly's Hearing Room 231 and aims to explore how legislative oversight and media collaboration can prevent unlawful insertions in the national budget. The workshop's theme, "Leveraging Legislative Oversight and Media Collaboration to Safeguard the National Budget from Unlawful Insertions," underscores the importance of transparency, accountability, and responsible journalism in maintaining a healthy budgetary process.

SPC Chairman Taiye Odewale highlighted the significance of the chosen theme, emphasizing that it highlights the role of oversight, journalistic responsibility, and accountability in ensuring that the budget serves the Nigerian people effectively. The workshop will feature presentations from several key figures in Nigerian governance and civil society, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, BudgIT Director Oluseun Onigbinde, and Publisher of Eagle Times, Ikechukwu Chukwunyere.

In addition to the presentations, the workshop will include intensive training sessions on Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools. These sessions will be facilitated by instructors from Mass Media TX Limited in London, aiming to familiarize journalists with the latest technological advancements and their potential applications in enhancing budget transparency and accountability.

The SPC is inviting several high-profile stakeholders to attend the workshop, including key members of the Senate, such as the Chairmen of the Media and Public Affairs Committee, Appropriations Committee, Finance Committee, and the Petroleum (Downstream) Committee. Other notable attendees include the Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana.

By bringing together lawmakers, budget experts, civil society representatives, media professionals, and technology instructors, the SPC hopes to deepen the discourse on budget transparency and accountability. The goal is to explore practical measures for strengthening the budget process and improving collaboration between the legislature and the media. Odewale expressed optimism that this initiative would lead to a better understanding of budget processes and promote responsible public spending.