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

The Senate Press Corps, SPC, will hold its 2026 capacity-building workshop on Monday, September 28, focusing on how legislative oversight and media collaboration can stop unlawful insertions in the national budget.

The workshop will hold at Hearing Room 231, National Assembly, with the theme: “Leveraging Legislative Oversight and Media Collaboration to Safeguard the National Budget from Unlawful Insertions.”

In a statement on Friday, the SPC Chairman, Taiye Odewale, said the theme was chosen to highlight the role of oversight, responsible journalism and accountability in ensuring the budget serves Nigerians.

The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu; Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) Executive Director, Auwal Rafsanjani; BudgIT Director, Oluseun Onigbinde; and Publisher of Eagle Times, Ikechukwu Chukwunyere, will make presentations at the workshop.

There will also be intensive training on Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to be facilitated by London-based instructors from Mass Media TX Limited to expose journalists to emerging technologies.

Key stakeholders invited include Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Yemi Adaramodu, Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Olamilekan Adeola, Chairman of the Finance Committee, Sani Musa, Chairman of the Petroleum (Downstream) Committee, Kawu Sumaila, and Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana.

Odewale said bringing together lawmakers, budget experts, civil society, media professionals and tech instructors would deepen discourse on budget transparency and accountability.

He said the workshop would explore practical ways to strengthen the budget process and improve synergy between the legislature and the media.

The chairman expressed optimism that the initiative would enhance understanding of budget processes and promote transparency and responsible public spending.