The House of Representatives on Wednesday raised concerns over what it described as chronic underfunding of the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation, warning that the trend could undermine Nigeria’s anti-corruption architecture and weaken public accountability.
The concern was raised during the 2026 budget defence session of the Office at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja, before the House Public Accounts Committee, chaired by Mr Bamidele Salam.
While reviewing the proposed N15.88bn allocation to the OAuGF for the 2026 fiscal year, the committee noted that the figure represents approximately 0.027 per cent of the N58.47tn Federal Government budget.
Members described the allocation as grossly inadequate when weighed against the constitutional responsibilities of the Office, which is mandated to audit over 1,000 Ministries, Departments and Agencies, as well as government-funded institutions across the country.
Salam said it is unrealistic to expect the Auditor-General’s Office to effectively scrutinise a proposed expenditure of N58.47tn with such minimal funding.
He disclosed that due to budgetary constraints in previous years, the Office was only able to audit five foreign missions out of about 100 Nigerian missions abroad.
The Osun lawmaker further lamented that in the 2025 fiscal year, only four per cent of the capital allocation to the Office was released, a development he said significantly impaired its operational capacity.
A breakdown of the 2026 budget estimate shows that N5.3bn is earmarked for personnel costs, N5.6bn for overheads, and N4.8bn for capital expenditure.
The lawmakers referenced international best practices as guided by the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions, which emphasise that supreme audit institutions must enjoy sufficient, independent, and secure funding to carry out their mandates without interference.
They also underscored the importance of budgetary autonomy, noting that audit institutions are ideally expected to submit their budget proposals directly to the legislature or a designated parliamentary committee to safeguard their independence.
“This is associated with weak institutions, which have contributed to the corruption ravaging our country,” Salam stated.
The House Committee therefore urged the Federal Government and relevant stakeholders to “prioritise adequate appropriation and full release of funds to the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation to enhance its capacity to perform its constitutional mandate effectively and proactively prevent corruption, waste, and mismanagement of public resources.”
The Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation is constitutionally empowered under Section 85 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to audit and report on the public accounts of the Federation and all offices and courts of the Federal Government.
Over the years, however, concerns have persisted over the Office’s limited financial and operational independence. Despite its central role in safeguarding public funds, the OAuGF has repeatedly faced budget cuts, delayed releases, and inadequate capital funding, constraining its ability to conduct timely audits, deploy modern audit technology, and build professional capacity.
Stakeholders in the accountability sector have long argued that weak funding for the nation’s supreme audit institution undermines oversight of government spending, particularly at a time when public expenditure continues to rise sharply.
The proposed N58.47tn 2026 Federal Government budget represents one of the largest in Nigeria’s history, further amplifying concerns about the capacity of the Auditor-General’s Office to effectively track and audit public spending without commensurate financial support.
Analysts say that unless funding and institutional autonomy for the Office are strengthened, efforts to combat corruption and ensure fiscal discipline may remain constrained.
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