The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) hopes to lift agricultural lending above the current level of less than five per cent of banks’ credit, with Governor Olayemi Cardoso declaring that agriculture must receive its “rightful place in our financial system and national priorities.”

Cardoso spoke in Abuja on Tuesday at the inauguration of the newly constituted Board of the Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme Fund.

He told the audience that the event marked “a defining moment — a bold statement of intent that signals a new dawn for agricultural financing in Nigeria.”

He said agriculture remained the backbone of the economy, contributing more than one-fifth of GDP and employing most Nigerians, yet “it receives only a small fraction of formal credit — less than 5 per cent of banks’ lending goes to the agricultural sector.

According to him, this chronic underfunding has stifled productivity and expansion for millions of farmers.

“It is a reassessment of norms: we will no longer accept business-as-usual,” he said. “Instead, we embrace a future where agriculture is accorded its rightful place.”

Cardoso said the fund, which guarantees up to 75 per cent of the value of agricultural loans, had helped banks lend to farmers for decades, including those considered “unbankable.”

He noted that the scheme had been strengthened following a 2019 amendment that expanded its share capital from N3bn to N50bn and broadened its mandate.

He said the reform was designed to deepen inclusivity, adding that the revised Act now provides for a board composed not only of government officials but also of farmers’ representatives.

“Such inclusivity is strategic: it enshrines partnership between policymakers, financiers, and the farming community in guiding the Scheme’s activities,” he said.

Cardoso described the sector as standing at the “crossroads of unprecedented opportunity” under the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope agenda.

He said the vision was to build a resilient, technologically advanced and inclusive agricultural economy that “ensures food security, reduces poverty, and creates wealth for millions of Nigerians.”

According to him, smallholder farmers constitute 80 per cent of Nigeria’s farmers and produce about 90 per cent of food, yet they continue to face high barriers to credit.

“Many lack collateral or credit history — a situation we can no longer afford, given that these same smallholders feed our nation and drive our rural economy,” he said.

He urged the new board to focus on strategic priorities that could unlock value quickly.

He called for deeper financial inclusion to reach women and young farmers, noting that rural women were key actors in agriculture but often had less access to credit and technology.

“Studies indicate nearly 60 per cent of rural women do not use mobile internet, limiting their access to emerging digital services,” he said.

He asked the board to collaborate with microfinance banks, cooperatives, and fintech firms, and to use group lending, mobile money, and agent banking to ensure that “a lack of collateral or a remote location is no longer an insurmountable barrier to financing.”

Cardoso also tasked the board with establishing stronger oversight, monitoring, and evaluation systems using technology and data.

He said modern tools, including satellite imagery and digital dashboards, should be deployed to track loan performance, crop progress and emerging risks.

“Every naira guaranteed must deliver real value on the farm and in the marketplace,” he said.

The governor warned that the task ahead may appear daunting, given the size and complexity of agricultural value chains.

But he insisted that success depended on “innovation, integrity, and unyielding dedication.”

“With today’s inauguration, we have filled a void and renewed our commitment to a prosperous, food‑secure Nigeria,” he said. “Let us cultivate a future where every farmer can easily access the financing they need, every field yields its full potential, and every Nigerian can enjoy affordable, plentiful food on their table.”

Cardoso congratulated the newly inaugurated board and assured them of the central bank’s support.

Also speaking, the chairman of the newly inaugurated board, Dr Olusegun Oshin, said the scheme must focus on the grassroots, where the majority of farmers struggle without credit or storage facilities.

He told the gathering that “those that feed us are those weak, poor farmers very far away in the villages and who don’t have access to credit,” adding that even when they manage to raise funds, “they don’t even store it properly because they don’t have the capacity for storage.”

Oshin said the board would ensure the fund was impactful at the level of peasant farmers and smallholders.

“This fund… will be focused on ensuring that it is impactful at the grassroots level, at that level where Nigeria is faced, the level of the peasant farmers,” he said.

He also welcomed the inclusion of agribusiness and allied sectors, noting that technology and accountability would be central to implementation.

Oshin noted that proper reporting must show that money given to clusters of farmers produced measurable results.

He added that detailed monitoring and evaluation would strengthen the case for more resources, while stressing that reaching more farmers efficiently would improve food supply nationwide.

Oshin thanked the apex bank for the opportunity and assured that board members would uphold ethical standards.

The PUNCH earlier reported that the agricultural sector contributed N30.5tn, in nominal terms, to the Gross Domestic Product in the third quarter of 2025.

Crop production drove the agro-sector’s growth, which stakeholders attributed to improved investor confidence.

The figure from the National Bureau of Statistics represents one of the sector’s strongest quarterly showings in recent years, with crop production alone accounting for N20.13tn or 65.99 per cent.

The sector also posted a real GDP growth rate of 3.79 per cent year-on-year, surpassing its Q3 2024 performance of 2.55 per cent by 1.24 percentage points, and outperforming its 2.82 per cent growth in Q2 2025 by 0.97 points amid poor access to bank credit.New Nigeria People’s Party, Femi Aina, has been re-elected for another term of four years.

Aina, according to a statement on Tuesday, was elected alongside other executives during the state party’s congress held at the party’s secretariat at Adatan, Abeokuta, the capital of the state.

Prof Tajudeen Gambo, Chairman of the Organising Committee of the state congress, alongside the Secretary of the committee, Abdullahi Dogonnama, as well as Alhaji Ibrahim Sai Kure, and Alhaji Hamza Masu, who are members of the committee, supervised the congress.

The congress was also monitored by INEC officials and security agents.

Aina, in his acceptance speech, said that his re-election marked a new dispensation for the state chapter of the party to begin massive mobilisation ahead of the 2027 elections.

The party chairman pledged to foster unity, bringing everyone on board irrespective of tribes, tongues and religion, with the sole aim of strengthening the party membership in the state.

Aina said, “This is no doubt a new dispensation for Ogun NNPP. We are going to ensure equal representation of various groups within the party. We are going to kick off massive mobilisation ahead of 2027 because everyone is important to our resolve to chase APC out in 2027.

“We will reach out to the Kwa Kwa Siya group, we will reach out to women, and we will make sure that women decide issues affecting women. It will be a new leadership with renewed dedication and vigour to serve and deliver Nigerians from the incompetent government of the APC.”

He thanked the delegates for the confidence reposed in him and other executive members promising to provide a leadership that will further help deepen democratic ideals of fairness, justice and good governance.

Other executive members include  Alhaja Sakirat Arowolo, the Deputy Chairman, Rasaq Segun Sofowora as Secretary, as well as Mrs Yetunde Akindele, Women Leader, among others.

Speaking earlier, Gambo commended the resilience of  NNPP members in the state despite challenges, urging the newly elected and sworn-in executives to be determined to push NNPP stronger come 2027.

He disclosed that the intention of the party to take over the leadership of Nigeria across all levels comes 2027, lamenting that the present APC administration is not mass-oriented

Gambo said, “Our strong intention is to take over Nigeria in 2027.  We are determined, and we are working very hard, because the present government is running the affairs of the country to address the needs of the masses.

“Whereas NNPP is for the masses, it is free education for everybody; everybody must be educated, so we are really confident that we are going to succeed in 2027 by the special grace of God. That’s our dream and vision, and we call on all Nigerians to team up with us on this rescue mission.”

Opposition parties have always faulted the APC-led government, accusing it of foisting hardship on Nigerians, particularly with the subsidy removal, as well as the rising wave of insecurity across the country.

They have always threatened massive mobilisation ahead of 2027, with the sole aim of getting the party out of power.

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The Federal Government has ordered ministries, departments, and agencies to carry over 70 per cent of their 2025 capital budget into the 2026 fiscal year as the administration moves to prioritise the completion of existing projects and contain spending pressures in the face of weak revenues.

This directive is contained in the 2026 Abridged Budget Call Circular issued by the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning and circulated to all ministers, service chiefs, heads of agencies and top government officials in Abuja.

The circular, which was seen by The PUNCH on Monday, stated that the annual budget estimates must follow strict guidelines and that all officers responsible for budget preparation were expected to comply fully. The circular made clear that the preparations for the 2026 budget would not allow the introduction of new capital projects.

It stated that ministries and agencies must continue with the allocations already approved in the 2025 budget rather than seeking fresh projects. The document said MDAs are required to upload 70 per cent of their 2025 budget to continue next year, and that this must be done in line with national priorities.

It explained that the rollover is based on what it described as the immediate needs of the country and the development priorities of the administration. It listed the priorities that align with the policy direction of the government, such as national security, the economy, education, health, agriculture, infrastructure, power and energy, as well as social safety nets, including women and youth empowerment.

According to the circular, “MDAs are to upload 70 per cent of their 2025 FGN Budget to continue in FY2026. All such rollover and uploads MUST be in line with the immediate needs of the country as well as government’s development priorities that aligns with the policy direction of the new administration which hinges on National Security, the Economy, Education, Health, Agriculture, Infrastructure, Power & Energy as well as social safety nets, women & youth empowerment.”

The circular stated that the government had established a framework that sets capital budget ceilings for 2026 at 70 per cent of the 2025 project allocations. It also explained that only 30 per cent of the 2025 capital budget would be released within the current fiscal year, while the remaining 70 per cent would serve as the foundation for the 2026 capital budget, replacing the previous method of a traditional rollover.

It said this would ensure continuity for ongoing projects and eliminate wasteful duplication. The document emphasised that ministries must not attempt to exceed their overhead ceilings from 2025 when preparing their 2026 submissions.

It acknowledged that inflation is affecting costs but said the government is constrained by revenue challenges. It added that the government would sustain the effort to achieve full release of the overhead budget but warned that proposals that go beyond approved ceilings would be adjusted downward.

According to the circular, “MDAs are required to work within and not exceed their 2025 overhead ceilings (Executive Proposal) for the purpose of preparing their 2026 Overhead budget submissions. While we note the impact of inflation on overhead costs, we are, however, constrained by revenue challenges in providing significantly more for overheads. We will, however, sustain the effort to achieve full release of the overhead budget.”

The circular explained that budget estimates must take into consideration the policies and strategies contained in the 2026 to 2028 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper, which it described as the Federal Government’s pre-budget statement.

It said the MTEF outlines development priorities and that the annual budget must be prepared in line with the policy thrust of the administration. It referred to the direction under the Renewed Hope Agenda, including the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Plan and Ward Development Plan, the National Development Plan, and other programmes, including the Accelerated Stabilisation and Actualisation Plan.

The circular said all expenditure would be properly scrutinised to allow only essential spending and to ensure value for money. It stated that the government remains committed to improving the efficiency and quality of spending and to strengthening budget formulation, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.

MDAs were informed that they must submit their budgets online using the GIFMIS Budget Preparation Subsystem, while government-owned enterprises must submit theirs through the Budget Information Management and Monitoring System. Both submissions must be completed not later than Tuesday, December 9, 2025.

The circular warned that it is not the responsibility of budget officers to upload any submission on behalf of any ministry, department, or agency. On personnel costs, the circular stated that the Budget Office had already prepared estimates based on information obtained from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System or submitted earlier by ministries.

It said each ministry would be advised of its personnel cost budget for the 2026 fiscal year. The financial framework accompanying the circular showed a tighter revenue position alongside rising debt service obligations. The amount available for the Federal Government budget, including government-owned enterprises, in 2026 is N54.46tn compared to N54.99tn in 2025.

Statutory transfers are projected at N3.15tn in 2026 compared with N3.64tn for 2025, while recurrent non-debt expenditure is projected at N15.26tn. Debt service increases from N13.94tn in 2025 to N15.52tn in 2026, according to the document. Aggregate capital expenditure is projected at N22.37tn in 2026, down from N26.19tn in the current year.

This is made up of capital supplementation, capital in statutory transfers, special intervention programmes, MDA’s capital expenditure, GOEs capital expenditure, grants, and donor-funded projects and project-tied loans. The amount available for MDA’s capital expenditure falls from N12.39tn in 2025 to N8.67tn in 2026, while the volume of project-tied loans declines sharply from N3.36tn to N2.05tn.

The deficit increases from N14.10tn in the current year to N20.12tn in 2026. Economist and professor at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Sheriffdeen Tella, earlier faulted the basis of preparing the 2026 budget when implementation of the 2025 budget had barely begun.

Tella questioned how the government arrived at a deficit of N20tn when, according to him, the 2025 budget started late and had not generated any performance indicators to justify new projections.

He said he found the 2026 deficit troubling because “the budget of 2026 is supposed to be premised on the implementation or performance of 2025,” yet “they have just started implementing the 2025 budget… in December 2025.”

Tella added that “there is no basis for any budget because what they had, they have not implemented” and supported that the government should have rolled over the 2025 plan into 2026 instead of preparing a fresh document. The professor expressed concern that Nigeria risked operating multiple budgets in the same year, calling it a sign of fiscal disorder.

The National President of the Nigerian Economic Society, Professor Adeola Adenikinju, also criticised the government for drifting away from the January to December budget cycle. He said the timing of the MTEF FSP approval showed that Nigeria was again running behind schedule, which undermines predictability and complicates economic planning.

Adenikinju said, “The 2026 budget should have been in the National Assembly for consultation so that we can keep to this January 1st thing. That makes our fiscal system predictable.” He argued that the late budget presentation prevents the National Assembly from carrying out proper scrutiny.

The economist said the rush to approve budgets “does not allow for proper analysis” and prevents ministries and departments from fully defending their plans. He warned that the practice was creating a disorganised fiscal environment. According to him, “we are running two or three budgets in the same year,” and the pattern “makes the whole process very disorganised.”

Nevertheless, the Federal Government has said the 2026 budget will focus on ward-based development, infrastructure, security, and stronger domestic production as Nigeria adjusts to declining global aid.

Speaking in Abuja on Monday, at a stakeholders’ engagement with the Nigeria International Non-Governmental Organisation Forum, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu, said the next budget cycle will support the country’s $1tn economy target.

He explained that the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework approved by the Federal Executive Council sets out the assumptions for the 2026 fiscal year, including revenue projections, production targets, and the new strategy to drive growth at the community level.

Economists speak

Economists on Monday gave contrasting views on the government’s decision to carry over 70 per cent of the 2025 capital budget into 2026, speaking with The PUNCH in separate telephone conversations.

A development economist and Chief Executive of CSA Advisory, Dr Aliyu Ilias, took a critical stance, saying the decision reflected poor fiscal discipline.

He argued that the approach had already denied citizens the benefits of projects that should have been completed. He said the Federal Government “has failed” and that “they have fiscal discipline problems.” He questioned how the government could be “ruling over a budget about 70 per cent” and warned that it meant “Nigeria’s business has suffered.”

According to him, capital projects that should have delivered services were already stalled. He said, “All the capital projects that were supposed to have been done for us to benefit from have failed already.”

He added that the carryover broke the continuity that previous administrations tried to protect. In his words, “They have also eroded President Muhammadu Buhari’s continuous effort to maintain the January to December budget.”

He described the situation as a gap that could encourage abuse. “This is a room for corruption,” he said, querying how oversight would be maintained when the government was rolling over spending.

He said, “How do we know that this is what they are rolling over, this is what they are not rolling over?”

He argued that Nigerians rely heavily on capital projects and any delay would lead to hardship.

He described the situation as “an announced suffering” and said capital projects had “been suffered now because you don’t have a clear oversight on them, and it’s a problem.”

He insisted that government performance on fiscal and budget discipline “for now has not done well” and suggested that the lapses were deliberate. “I am sure I want to say that it is intentional because you could have seen that this is becoming an error,” he said.

Ilias said the problem also rested with the National Assembly, which he accused of failing in its oversight duty.

He said the legislature was tolerating inefficiencies, adding that “The National Assembly is also failing, failing in the sense that it is their own responsibility to make sure that those things do not really fly.”

He said lawmakers “seem to have a pity-pity with the National Assembly, they are tolerating those inefficiencies.”

He concluded that his doubts about the government’s fiscal discipline remained strong. “For me, I have doubts in the fiscal discipline and budget discipline for this government,” he said, adding that any solution might only come much later. He said, “Perhaps, maybe in 2027, they may correct it.”

In contrast, the Director of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, Dr Muda Yusuf, supported the rollover decision.

He said it was a necessary step to restore credibility to the budget process. He described it as a way to “normalise things because there will be no end to continuous rolling wells of budgets” if the situation were allowed to continue indefinitely.

Yusuf explained that it was unrealistic to keep approving fresh capital allocations when previous ones were still unimplemented.

He said, “It is not realistic to have another set of capital to just enjoy the budget, given all the backlog that you have in 2025, even 2024.” He added that the rollover would help clean up what he called “an anomaly.”

He argued that the proposal would improve confidence in the system. He said, “I think what is being proposed is a way of cleaning it up so that you can normalise the situation in a way that it brings some credibility to the budget process.”

Yusuf linked the issue to wider weaknesses in budget planning and revenue assumptions, saying that unrealistic projections were part of the problem.

He explained that the decision was tied to ensuring that expenditure and revenue plans align better.

He said, “When you have assumptions that are not realistic, you have expenditure plans that are not realistic.” He insisted that the new approach was an attempt to make the system more grounded.

He said that achieving balance between spending and income was crucial. “We have to be realistic with our expenditure and with our revenue as well,” he said.

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The Federal Government has outlawed the use of physical cash for the payment of revenue and directed Ministries, Departments, and Agencies to install Point of Sale terminals within 45 days.

The directive formed part of four Treasury circulars issued by the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and obtained by The PUNCH on Monday. In the documents, the Accountant-General, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, said all payments to the Federal Government must now be made electronically and routed through channels approved by the Treasury.

“All payments to government must be made through electronic channels approved by the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and integrated into the appropriate Treasury Single Account,” the circular read, warning that the continued acceptance of physical cash was prohibited.

“In view of the above, it is hereby directed that collections and/or acceptance of physical cash (in Naira or other currencies) for all revenues due to the Federal Government is strictly prohibited. All revenue collections, for and on behalf of the Federal Government, must be made via electronic processing,” the circular stated.

The first circular, titled ‘Enforcement of No Physical Cash Receipt Policy for All Federal Government Revenue Transactions’, dated November 24, 2025, said the government was alarmed at the “continued physical cash collection” at MDA revenue points despite existing rules on e-payment and the Treasury Single Account.

It said physical cash collection violated extant policies and “weakens the integrity of Federal Government e-collection and e-payment systems.” The circular directed all MDAs and Federal Government Owned Enterprises to immediately sensitise staff and the public on the ban and to display notices reading “NO PHYSICAL CASH RECEIPT” and “NO CASH PAYMENT” at all revenue collection points.

It added that any MDA currently collecting cash must, within 45 days, deploy functional POS terminals or other approved electronic devices at all locations. To enforce compliance, it warned that accounting officers would be held responsible for any breach.

A second circular, dated November 25, 2025, and titled ‘Immediate Cessation of Direct Deductions on MDAs’ Dedicated Collection Systems’, focused on unauthorised deductions made by MDAs through customised payment platforms.

According to the document, the Treasury observed that MDAs were using front-end applications linked to various Payment Solution Service Providers through which charges, fees, and commissions were deducted before the net amount was remitted to the Treasury Single Account.

It said the practice violated existing regulations and had resulted in “significant revenue leakages, which undermine the Federal Government’s efforts to achieve fiscal transparency.” The circular ordered an immediate halt, saying all revenues must be remitted to designated TSA or Sub-TSA accounts “without any deduction(s).”

It stressed that any fees arising from service provision must now be paid directly from Treasury accounts rather than being deducted at source. All existing portals and PSSPs used for revenue collection must also be regularised with the OAGF on or before December 31, 2025.

MDAs involved in public-private partnerships were advised to seek further guidance from the Treasury. The document warned that non-compliant MDAs would have their access to the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System and TSA accounts disabled.

A third circular, titled ‘Adoption of the Federal Treasury e-Receipt (FTe-R)’ and dated November 26, 2025, introduced a mandatory national e-receipt system. The circular said the Federal Treasury would, from January 1, 2026, begin issuing a unified electronic receipt for all Government payments.

It added that only the centrally-issued FTe-R would be recognised as valid proof of federal transactions. “With effect from 1st January 2026, the Treasury will commence the issuance of FTe-R,” the circular stated.

The receipts will be issued through the Revenue Optimisation platform and delivered electronically via channels selected by each MDA. The FTe-R will serve both as a receipt for the payer and as official proof of revenue collection for the government entity.

The fourth circular, dated November 27, 2025, was titled ‘Rollout and Implementation Guidelines on the Adoption of the Revenue Optimisation (RevOP) Platform’. It said the government was now deploying a digital platform to improve visibility of revenue collections, streamline billing, and allow real-time monitoring of accounts held by MDAs.

RevOP has been adopted as the approved service-wide platform for end-to-end revenue optimisation. According to the document, it would provide unified automation of billing, reconciliation, and treasury visibility, and integrate with TSA, GIFMIS, CBN, NIBSS, FIRS, and revenue-collecting banks.

Each MDA is required to nominate three officers to serve as RevOP focal personnel within seven working days and ensure integration of existing financial systems with the platform.

The circular added that only Payment Solution Service Providers licensed by the Central Bank and recommended by NITDA and approved by the OAGF would be allowed to operate. All PSSPs currently used by MDAs must connect to the platform for “instant harmonisation of Government collections.”

The Treasury also ordered MDAs to submit full details of all local and foreign currency accounts and ensure compliance within 60 days. All four circulars were signed by Ogunjimi, who directed accounting officers, finance directors, and internal auditors to give the documents the widest circulation and ensure strict compliance.

The measures represent some of the most far-reaching changes to federal revenue administration since the introduction of the Treasury Single Account a decade ago.

Earlier in March 2025, The PUNCH reported that the Federal Government unveiled a new payment platform named Treasury Management & Revenue Assurance System, which is designed to streamline and manage federal revenue collections and payments across ministries, departments, and agencies, including those benefiting from donor funds, trust funds, social security funds, and special funds.

According to a memo seen by The PUNCH, the first phase would cover payments and collections for the naira component only. It would also enable the OAGF and MDAs to generate bank statements, track balances, and activate automatic deduction and remittance of taxes associated with vendor and contractor payments, including VAT, Withholding Tax, and Stamp Duty.

The second phase, expected to commence on June 1, 2025, would cover collections and payments involving foreign exchange and integration with MDA Enterprise Resource Planning systems.

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