Tinubu, N’Assembly lauded for restoring integrity to budget process

An advocacy group in Nigeria, NEFGAD, has commended President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly for sanitising the national budgeting process.

The group said the National Assembly has eliminated the longstanding issue of budget padding in the form of illicit capital projects inserted directly into the budget.

NEFGAD made this known through a statement made available to newsmen by its country head of office, Mr. Akingunola Omoniyi, in Abuja on Friday.

The group said the National Assembly’s interference in the budgeting process has been a significant challenge, leading to inefficiencies, resource misallocation, and a lack of trust in the entire budgeting system.

The group noted that in this 2025 appropriation regime, the President duly complied with Section 81(1) of the 1999 Constitution by communicating to the National Assembly for an additional N4.5 trillion to the 2025 budget, thereby raising the total to N54.2 trillion to accommodate more spending line items.

NEFGAD commended Tinubu and the National Assembly for the laudable achievement and reaffirmed its support for policies that promote good governance, transparency, and national progress.

The statement reads, “This singular act by the President is unprecedented; it is a clear departure from unconstitutional practices of the past, where lawmakers sat in the hallowed chamber performing executive functions by altering budget items and figures without recourse to the President, who is the chief drafter and determinant of the country’s spending and procurement priorities, subject to need assessment and evaluation by procuring entities procurement planning Committees as enshrined in Sections 18 and 21 of the Public Procurement Act, 2007.

“This reform will definitely heighten public confidence in the budget and public procurement system, foster greater efficiency in public expenditure, strengthen fiscal discipline, and enhance economic growth.

“We urge all stakeholders, including the legislature, civil society, and the general public, to support this initiative and work collectively to uphold the integrity of our national budget further.

“As we move forward, we encourage continued vigilance and accountability in public finance management to sustain these gains. The fight against corruption and financial mismanagement must remain a top priority to ensure the nation’s prosperity and development.”