KEY POINTS

• BudgIT says supremacy battle in budget transparency hurts accountability.

• No budget reports published since Q2 2024.

• Lack of data could weaken investor confidence.

The Nigerian government has failed to release quarterly Budget Implementation Reports for almost a year. The delay is raising questions about accountability and transparency under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

BudgIT, a civic-tech group tracking government spending, issued a statement on Thursday. The organization warned that the reports are more than a legal formality.

According to BudgIT, the documents show how public funds are allocated and spent. They also help citizens and lawmakers evaluate government performance.

“These reports are evidence of spending and a key way to assess how well policies are delivered,” BudgIT said.

The statement was signed by Nancy Odimegwu, the group’s senior communications associate.

Supremacy battle in budget transparency emerges

By law, the Ministry of Finance is expected to release BIRs within 30 days after the end of each quarter, according to the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2007. Yet Nigerians have been left in the dark about spending patterns since mid-2024.

The administration of the late President Muhammadu Buhari had managed to publish at least three BIRs every fiscal year.

In contrast, Tinubu’s government has failed to release even one in nearly four quarters, covering Q2 2024 to Q2 2025.

BudgIT argued that instead of backsliding, the government should have improved on previous efforts by also publishing the Federal Cash Plan Disbursement Schedule, which the law mandates under Section 26.

Budget transparency in Nigeria raises accountability questions

The civic group warned that the refusal to publish financial information could damage investor confidence at a time when Nigeria is seeking foreign direct investment.

It also leaves the private sector, academia and civil society without reliable data for planning and policy analysis.

According to Business Day, BudgIT’s research head, Vahyala Kwaga, described the failure as a setback for democratic accountability. “The ability of a government to hold itself accountable to its laws is an indication of adherence to the rule of law,” he said.

He added that Nigerians deserve more than “pronouncements” in the media by finance officials. “Publishing financial reports according to law is a citizen’s right, and it should not be replaced with verbal assurances,” Kwaga said.

With four quarterly reports already overdue, pressure is mounting on the Ministry of Finance and Budget Office to restore credibility by releasing the missing documents.