FG to implement only 30% of 2025 capital budget by November 2026

THE Nigerian government has confirmed that only 30 percent of the 2025 Capital Budget will be implemented before the end of November 2026, as warrants have already been dispatched to Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to start execution.

Accountant-General of the Federation, Dr. Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, made this announcement during a stakeholders’ briefing at the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja on Thursday.

According to a statement issued by Director of Press and Public Relations in the Accountant-General’s office, Mr Bawa Mokwa, the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) had been fully restored, allowing smoother processing of capital payments.

Dr. Ogunjimi explained that the 30 percent portion of the 2025 capital budget will be executed before November 30, 2026. The remaining 70 percent has been incorporated into the 2026 capital budget to ensure continuity of ongoing projects. This adjustment follows directives from President Bola Tinubu aimed at maintaining fiscal discipline while avoiding project disruption.

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The AGF confirmed that all necessary warrants had been issued to MDAs, with Treasury House ready to begin releasing funds for the 30 percent allocation in the coming week.

Minister calls for strict adherence to procurement rules

The Minister of State for Finance, Ms Doris Uzoka-Anite, urged MDAs to strictly comply with the Public Procurement Act while executing both the rolled-over 2025 budget and the 2026 allocations. She emphasised that capital payments must follow approved procedures and that all projects should be fully funded before any work begins.

“MDAs must ensure that all payments align with procurement guidelines and that no funds are disbursed outside the legal framework,” she warned.

Ms Uzoka-Anite added that the government had sufficient liquidity to clear outstanding obligations and encouraged agencies to update all necessary documentation to enable faster processing of payments.

Director of Funds, Steve Ehikhamenor, cautioned MDAs against exceeding their allocated budget ceilings. He advised agencies to adhere to project-specific allocations, return unutilised funds, and collaborate closely with GIFMIS officials for technical support.

Budget overlap

In November 2025, Economy Post had reported that one month to the end of 2025, President Bola Tinubu’s government was yet to implement the 2024 budget fully and had left this year’s fiscal plan in limbo, stalling several programmes that should uplift the lives of citizens.

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The newsaper cited some Budget Office of Nigeria insiders who said that the Tinubu administration was yet to fully implement the 2024 budget at that time, with one of them noting that “the government will begin the implementation of 2025 budget early next year.”

To corroborate Economy Post‘s report, The Punch reported in December that the Nigerian government had directed ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) to carry over 70 percent of their 2025 capital budget into the 2026 fiscal year.

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 newspaper said.

The circular said, “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.”

READ ALSO: Thirty-eight days to 2026, Tinubu fiddles with 2024 budget, runs 2025 blind

The Ministry of Power received no capital allocation in 2025, even as debts owed to electricity generation companies (GenCos) surged from N4 trillion in 2024 to N6.6 trillion as of February 2026.

Last year, the Bola Tinubu-led federal government did not release a single naira for capital projects in the ministry, hampering efforts to build transmission lines, upgrade substations, and connect the estimated 85 million Nigerians still without access to electricity.

“There are three components to the budget: salaries and wages, overhead costs, and capital expenditure,” Minister of Power, Mr. Adebayo Adelabu, told the Senate Committee on Power during his 2026 budget defence. “The first two were fully funded, but capital expenditure recorded zero percent.”

Mr Adelabu further disclosed that only 30 percent of the 2025 capital budget is expected to be released to the ministry by the end of March 2026, with the remaining 70 percent slated for implementation across the rest of the year.