Citizens Group Commends Budget Office DG Yakubu For Transparency, Improved Fiscal Performance

A civic accountability organisation, the Network for Fiscal Transparency and Development (NFTD), has hailed the Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Tanimu Yakubu, for the introducing a “new era of transparency, discipline, and measurable performance” in Nigeria’s budget management.

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

The group noted that the report which showed that Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) utilised over 81 per cent of funds released for capital projects demonstrates not only improved efficiency but also a renewed culture of openness and accountability in public finance.

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

NFTD said the 2024 fiscal year marked one of the most transparent implementation cycles in recent years, with quarterly reports published promptly and accessible to the public.

The group credited this openness for restoring citizens’ confidence in government spending and strengthening the credibility of the budget process.

“The sustained publication of detailed budget implementation reports shows that transparency is no longer an afterthought; it has become the working principle of the Budget Office. This is how institutions earn trust,” Oyenuga stated.

According to the group, the notable rise in non-oil revenue, particularly from corporate income taxes, VAT, customs duties, and digital transfer levies, underscores the effectiveness of the administration’s diversification agenda and the Budget Office’s commitment to performance-based budgeting.

NFTD said Yakubu’s insistence on monitoring, compliance, and feedback mechanisms has improved the quality of capital spending across infrastructure, education, and healthcare sectors.

“By linking disbursements to verifiable progress, the Budget Office is helping to build a culture where performance determines funding,” it added.

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

“The 2024 report tells a larger story — that Nigeria’s budgeting system can work when guided by integrity, data, and transparency. It is a model that should be strengthened, not abandoned,” the statement added.