The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) has strongly criticized the Budget Office of the Federation (BOF) for failing to upload the signed 2026 Federal Budget on its website, denying citizens the opportunity to scrutinize the document. The budget was signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on April 17, 2026, but 17 days later, it remains inaccessible to the public.
Alarm Raised Over Budget Secrecy
In a document titled 'Where is the 2026 Budget?' signed by its Lead Director, Eze Onyekpere, and released on Monday, CSJ expressed grave concern over the delay. The organization advised the Director General of the BOF to resign if unable to perform the duties for which he was employed. CSJ also noted that the usual budget breakdown by the Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister of the Economy has not been conducted, further exacerbating a culture of fiscal opacity.
Citizens' Right to Information
CSJ emphasized that Nigerians have a constitutional right to information regarding the allocation and management of public expenditure and resources at the federal level. The statement read: 'From the scheme and trajectory of events, these denials are deliberate and targeted at frustrating the exercise of the right of Nigerians to participate and make informed inputs into the fiscal governance system.'
The Centre recalled that the executive budget proposal presented by the President to the National Assembly on December 19, 2025, was only uploaded to the website on January 8, 2026—20 days after its presentation. CSJ described this pattern as unacceptable.
Demand for Immediate Action
CSJ reminded the BOF and relevant ministers of Section 48(1) of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, which mandates the Federal Government to ensure transparent conduct of fiscal and financial affairs, including full and timely disclosure of all transactions and decisions involving public revenues and expenditures. The statement added: 'This deliberate refusal by the BOF to perform a statutory duty runs contrary to the entire gamut of the Freedom of Information Act and the constitutional fundamental objective of participation by the people in their fiscal governance.'
CSJ demanded that the Director General of the BOF upload the assented 2026 federal budget to the office's website within 48 hours of the media statement, emphasizing that this is not a request for a favor but a demand for the performance of a constitutional and statutory duty.
Response from Budget Office
Upon inquiry by The Guardian, a top management staff member of the Budget Office acknowledged the delay in uploading the budget but stated that the document needs to be thoroughly reviewed before being made public. The official could not confirm when the budget would be uploaded.
