The Federal Government has begun preparations for the 2025 national budget, urging ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) to include only line items relevant to their mandates. This initiative emphasizes the importance of aligning projects with the economic priorities of the current administration.
Director-General of the Budget Office, Tanimu Yakubu, made the announcement during a training session on the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) budget preparation subsystem in Abuja. He expressed concerns about the quality of Nigeria’s national budget, highlighting the need for better relevance and execution of budget proposals.
“The quality of our national budget has been a long-standing concern, with stakeholders often questioning the effectiveness of our budgetary proposals,” Yakubu stated. “Today’s training offers a critical opportunity for all MDAs to reflect on their roles in the budget process, ensuring that our 2025 proposals are robust and aligned with national priorities.”
Yakubu urged all MDAs to remain focused on their statutory mandates, emphasizing that the executive budget proposals must be coherent and purpose-driven, reflecting the government’s vision for security and development.
He acknowledged previous complaints regarding the allocation of projects outside the primary mandates of government parastatals. In 2023, Tracka, a service delivery platform by BudgIT, reported that over 687 projects worth N112 billion were improperly allocated to agencies beyond their mandates.
Addressing Nigeria’s economic challenges, Yakubu noted that the current administration faces significant fiscal constraints due to insecurity and limited resources, which hinder efforts to reverse economic decline. He underscored the importance of utilizing technology to enhance budgetary efficiency.
“The GIFMIS Budget Preparation Subsystem Training Session provides us with an invaluable opportunity to acquire the tools necessary to enhance our budgetary processes,” he concluded. “This technology-driven system is designed to improve efficiency, eliminate bottlenecks, and promote accountability.”
