Echotitbits – Nigeria News

Tag: governance reform

  • Fiscal-year extension aims to end Nigeria’s ‘overlapping budget’ problem

    Fiscal-year extension aims to end Nigeria’s ‘overlapping budget’ problem

    Photo Credit: The Punch
    2025-12-24 06:00:00

    According to Punch, Nigeria’s National Assembly has moved to extend the implementation window for the 2025 budget into early 2026 as lawmakers debate how to avoid a repeat of “multiple budgets running at the same time” and the planning distortions that follow.

    The shift effectively keeps the 2025 appropriation alive beyond the traditional December-end cycle, giving MDAs a wider runway to complete ongoing procurement, releases, and capital execution that typically slip late in the year.

    The extension is also being framed as a legislative response to recurring delays in budget passage and cash-backing—an attempt to align “budget life” with actual spending realities rather than calendar formality.

    In practical terms, the change sets a new reference point for ministries and contractors: the 2025 budget is not “dead” on December 31, which could reduce abandoned projects and rushed year-end spending.

    Reuters reported the plan was intended to “bring an end to the practice of running multiple budgets concurrently,” while TVC News described it as extending the 2025 budget’s life “to March 31, 2026.”

    Echotitbits take: This is an admission that Nigeria’s budget cycle still struggles with realism—late passage, slow releases, and weak project discipline. Watch for whether cash releases and procurement timelines are also adjusted; otherwise, lawmakers may simply be postponing the same execution bottlenecks into Q1 2026.

    Source: The Punch — December 24, 2025 (https://punchng.com/budget-crisis-nass-extends-2025-fiscal-year-to-march/)
    The Punch 2025-12-24

  • Local Councils Press Tinubu for Direct Allocations as States Hold Trillions

    Local Councils Press Tinubu for Direct Allocations as States Hold Trillions

    Photo Credit: The Punch
    2025-12-23 09:00:00

    Reporting by The Punch indicates local government stakeholders are intensifying calls for direct disbursement of council allocations, arguing that state-level handling of the funds weakens grassroots service delivery.

    The push is framed as a continuation of the post–Supreme Court autonomy debate—demanding that councils receive money straight from the federation account rather than through state intermediaries.

    Supporters say direct access will improve accountability and ensure funds go to primary healthcare, rural roads, sanitation, and local economic activity instead of being diluted by state politics.

    State governments, however, have historically resisted reforms that reduce their control over local funding structures, meaning enforcement mechanisms—not just court rulings—remain the key battleground.

    Validation: Daily Times recalls the Supreme Court position, stating it is “unconstitutional for state governments to retain or manage funds meant for local councils.” Meanwhile, ABN TV repeats the core claim: “state governments received control over at least N7.43tn meant for local government councils…”

    Echotitbits take: Nigeria’s local governance problem isn’t only “how much money,” but “who controls it.” Watch for enforcement: executive orders, FAAC remittance redesign, and whether states respond with political workarounds.

    Source: The Punch — December 23, 2025 (https://punchng.com/autonomy-battle-lgs-demand-direct-funds-as-states-receive-n7-43tn/)
    The Punch 2025-12-23