NASS Approve NEPAD 2025 Budget Performance, Demand Clarification on Fund Releases, Compliance Gaps
The National Assembly Joint Committee on Cooperation and Integration in Africa/NEPAD has approved the 2025 budget performance of the NEPAD Agency, following extensive scrutiny of its financial records and implementation claims.
The approval came during a joint budget defence session on Wednesday after a motion was moved and seconded by members of the Committee.
Despite the endorsement, lawmakers subjected the agency to rigorous questioning over discrepancies in its reported utilisation of funds, particularly its declaration of “nil utilisation” against a 24 per cent capital release.
Committee members challenged the claim, pointing to several budget lines that reflected partial spending. They cited figures such as N15 million spent out of N50 million, N19 million out of N300 million, N22.5 million out of N75 million, and N60 million out of N200 million, arguing that these entries indicated clear evidence of utilisation.
In his response, the National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of AUDA-NEPAD Nigeria, Hon. Jabiru Salisu Abdullahi Tsauri, clarified that the 24 per cent represented a release approved administratively as part of a 30 per cent tranche agreement between the Executive and the National Assembly, but which had not been fully backed by cash for implementation.
He disclosed that the agency had formally written to the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation regarding a six per cent shortfall and other funding gaps that affected execution.
Unsatisfied with verbal explanations alone, the committee directed the agency to provide all supporting documents within 48 hours, including correspondence and letters of instruction relating to the capital releases.
Beyond the 2025 performance review, lawmakers also examined the agency’s 2026 budget proposal and flagged concerns over vague descriptions in several zonal intervention projects. They observed that some line items lacked specific project locations and detailed breakdowns, raising accountability concerns.
The committee instructed the agency to revise and resubmit the proposal with clearer project descriptions to enhance transparency and legislative oversight.
Compliance with the federal character principle also featured prominently during the session. A review of the agency’s nominal roll suggested imbalances in staff representation. While Tsauri maintained that staff postings were handled by the Office of the Head of Service, the Human Resources representative conceded that the agency was not fully compliant.
The committee emphasised that adherence to the federal character principle is mandatory for all government institutions and urged NEPAD’s management to work with relevant authorities to address the disparities.
Lawmakers further indicated support for a proposed bill seeking to grant NEPAD full commission status, a move that would enable the agency to independently recruit and manage its personnel. The committee pledged to give the bill priority once it is formally presented.
Following deliberations, the committee approved the agency’s 2026 budget proposal of N9.52 billion, comprising N328.6 million for personnel costs, N549.8 million for overhead, and N8.64 billion for capital projects.
However, lawmakers cautioned the agency against committing to projects without confirmed releases and stressed the importance of prudent financial management and transparency in implementation.
Speaking with journalists after the session, Tsauri described the approval of both the 2025 performance and the 2026 proposal as a reaffirmation of accountability mechanisms within government.
“This is an annual process. We are accountable to the people of Nigeria through the National Assembly. I am fully satisfied that our 2025 budget performance has been approved and that our 2026 proposal has also received the endorsement of the Joint Committee,” he said.
He acknowledged that funding delays remain a systemic challenge across government agencies, noting that budget allocations must be backed by timely releases to ensure effective implementation.
“It is well known that without releases, budgets cannot be implemented as planned. We experienced challenges in 2024 and 2025 due to release constraints,” he stated.
Tsauri, however, commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for fiscal reforms aimed at improving funding efficiency, expressing optimism that the current administration’s measures would strengthen budget performance going forward.
“As a growing nation, reforms are continuous. Adjustments will be made until sustainable solutions are achieved, and we are already seeing progress under this administration,” he added.