Senate threatens to block accountant-general’s 2026 budget over unpaid contractors
Nigeria’s Senate has threatened to withhold approval of the 2026 budget proposal for the office of the accountant-general of the federation, citing poor release of funds to ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) and the non-payment of contractors.
The warning was issued on Thursday during a budget defence session between the Senate committee on finance and the accountant-general, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi.
The committee, chaired by Senator Sani Musa, declined to consider the 2026 estimates, pointing to widespread complaints about inadequate cash releases under the 2025 budget and outstanding liabilities carried over from 2024.
“We are not going to take your budget until we are satisfied that your office is ready to do things that will make things work for Nigerians through expected assurances from you,” Musa said.
Lawmakers expressed frustration over what they described as weak budget implementation, which they said had disrupted government operations and left contractors unpaid. According to the committee, more than N2.2tn is owed to contractors – a figure senators described as unacceptable.
Senator Danjuma Goje, who represents Gombe Central, questioned the management of public finances, particularly revenues generated following the removal of the fuel subsidy and income reported by government-owned enterprises that reportedly exceeded their targets.
“Where is the money?” he asked, demanding clarity on the state of the treasury and the utilisation of increased revenues realised by the federal government.
Goje added that the National Assembly had been inundated with complaints from contractors seeking intervention over unpaid contracts, describing the situation as embarrassing for both the legislature and the country.
The committee said even security agencies had raised concerns about inadequate funding as a result of delayed or insufficient releases.
Lawmakers also called for an urgent review of the federal government’s envelope budgeting system – under which ministries are allocated fixed spending ceilings – arguing that it has failed to deliver expected results. They suggested a shift towards performance-based budgeting to strengthen accountability and efficiency.
The Senate maintained that it would not consider the accountant-general’s 2026 proposal until it received satisfactory explanations and assurances on improved budget implementation and timely fund releases.
In response, Ogunjimi appealed to the committee to reconsider its stance. He said his office could only disburse funds formally released to it, stressing that delays were not solely within his control.
He also told senators that the government’s payment platform had experienced technical challenges but was undergoing expansion and upgrades aimed at improving capacity and efficiency.