Federal Government Begins Work on 2025 Budget with Warning to Ministries
The Federal Government has officially begun the preparation of the 2025 national budget, issuing a clear directive to ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) to strictly adhere to their legal mandates when submitting budget proposals. MDAs were also urged to prioritise projects aligned with the economic goals of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Tanimu Yakubu, Director-General of the Budget Office, made the announcement on Tuesday during a training session on the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) budget preparation subsystem in Abuja. The event aims to streamline the budget process and improve efficiency across government departments.
“The quality of our national budget has long been a concern,” Yakubu noted. “This training is a vital step in improving the relevance, execution, and effectiveness of budgetary proposals, ensuring they align with our national priorities.”
He warned MDAs to avoid including projects outside their legal remit, emphasising the need for a coherent and focused budget that reflects the administration’s vision for national security and development.
Yakubu’s comments come amid public criticism of past budgets, with accusations of agencies allocating funds for projects beyond their mandate. In 2023, Tracka, BudgIT’s transparency platform, reported over 687 questionable projects worth N112 billion inserted into the national budget by various agencies.
Addressing the broader economic context, Yakubuacknowledged the severe fiscal challenges facing the nation, exacerbated by ongoing insecurity and limited resources. He emphasised the importance of the GIFMIS subsystem as part of the government’s efforts to streamline resource allocation, reduce poverty, and improve infrastructure.
“This technology-driven system will help us enhance our budgetary processes, eliminate bottlenecks, and promote greater accountability,” Yakubu concluded, expressing the government’s commitment to economic reform and efficient resource management as it prepares the 2025 budget.
