BudgIT, a leading civic-tech organization seeking transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s public finance, at the weekend challenged the Budget Office of the Federation and Nigeria’s Finance Ministry to promptly publish the 2022 third quarter budget implementation report as required by extant legislation.
It has been eight months since the end of the third quarter of 2022, contrary to the requirement of the law that the report’s publication should not extend beyond 30 working days after the end of the quarter.
The request, the organisation continued, is pertinent, given that the report is presently inaccessible on the official website of the Budget Office of the Federation as of June 8, 2023, stressing that the delayed release of the “report compromises accountability and leaves citizens in the dark regarding the management of public resources.”
The statement by Nancy Odimegwu, BudgIT’s Communications Associate, said Section 30 (1) of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2007, requires the Minister of Finance, “through the Budget Office of the Federation, to diligently monitor and evaluate the Annual Budget’s implementation. This involves the critical role of analyzing budgetary objectives and presenting thorough quarterly reports to both the Fiscal Responsibility Commission and the National Assembly’s Joint Finance Committee.”
Section 30 (2) further mandates the “Minister of Finance to ensure that the prepared reports, as per subsection (1), are published in mass media, electronic platforms, and on the official Ministry of Finance website no later than 30 days after the end of each quarter.”
The statement quoted BudgIT’s Head of Research and Policy Advisory, Iniobong Usen, as saying the “delayed release of the Budget Implementation Report compromises accountability and leaves citizens in the dark regarding the management of public resources. The situation also hinders the timely intervention required when budget implementation is not going according to plan.”
BudgIT, therefore, called on the Budget Office of the Federation to adhere to established provisions of the enabling legislation that promotes fiscal discipline, transparency, and accountability in managing the nation’s finance. We also urge persons in public leadership to act transparently to help citizens understand how the government functions.