Citizens Group Applauds Budget Office DG Yakubu for Promoting Transparency and Strengthening Fiscal Performance

By our Correspondent

The Network for Fiscal Transparency and Development (NFTD), a civic accountability organisation, has commended the Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Tanimu Yakubu, for ushering in what it described as “a new era of transparency, discipline, and measurable performance” in Nigeria’s budget management system.

In a statement released on Sunday and signed by the group’s national coordinator, Comrade Joshua Oyenuga, NFTD noted that the 2024 Budget Implementation Report issued by the Budget Office reflects “a credible transformation in the country’s fiscal management architecture.”

According to the group, the report, which showed that Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) utilised over 81 percent of funds released for capital projects, is evidence of improved efficiency and a deepened culture of openness and accountability in public finance.

“Under Mr. Tanimu Yakubu, the Budget Office has redefined fiscal governance. What we are witnessing is not just higher utilisation rates but a clear alignment between budget releases, project execution, and measurable outcomes that citizens can verify,” the statement read.

NFTD described the 2024 fiscal year as one of the most transparent budget implementation periods in recent times, with quarterly reports released promptly and made accessible to the public.

The group said such openness has helped rebuild citizens’ confidence in government spending and enhanced the overall credibility of Nigeria’s budgeting process.

“The continued publication of detailed budget implementation reports shows that transparency is no longer an afterthought but a guiding principle of the Budget Office. This is how institutions earn trust,” Oyenuga stated.

The organisation further highlighted the significant growth in non-oil revenue, especially from corporate income taxes, VAT, customs duties, and digital transfer levies, as evidence of the success of the administration’s diversification policy and the Budget Office’s commitment to performance-based budgeting.

NFTD added that Yakubu’s emphasis on monitoring, compliance, and feedback mechanisms has led to improved quality of capital spending in critical sectors such as infrastructure, education, and healthcare.

“By linking disbursements to verifiable progress, the Budget Office is fostering a culture where performance determines funding,” the group noted.

The coalition urged the federal government to sustain and deepen Yakubu’s reforms by institutionalising transparency frameworks and strengthening collaboration with civil society groups for independent monitoring of capital projects.

“The 2024 report tells a bigger story — that Nigeria’s budgeting system can truly work when driven by integrity, data, and transparency. It is a model that should be sustained and strengthened,” the statement added.