Members of the House of Representatives have expressed deep concern over the chronic underfunding of the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation (OAuGF), warning that the agency lacks the financial capacity to effectively oversee Nigeria’s proposed N58.47 trillion 2026 budget.
Speaking on the matter, Salam described it as unrealistic to expect the Auditor-General’s Office to properly scrutinise such a massive expenditure envelope while operating on limited resources.
He revealed that budgetary constraints in previous years restricted the Office to auditing only five foreign missions out of nearly 100 Nigerian missions abroad.
The Osun lawmaker also lamented that in the 2025 fiscal year, just four per cent of the Office’s capital allocation was released — a shortfall he said severely weakened its operational effectiveness.
Details from the 2026 budget estimate show that N5.3 billion has been set aside for personnel costs, N5.6 billion for overheads, and N4.8 billion for capital expenditure.
Lawmakers argued that these figures fall short of what is required for a constitutionally mandated institution charged with safeguarding public funds.
Citing global standards outlined by the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions, the legislators stressed that supreme audit bodies must enjoy adequate, independent, and secure funding to function without external influence.
They further emphasised the need for budgetary autonomy, noting that audit institutions should ideally submit their funding proposals directly to the legislature or a designated parliamentary committee to preserve their independence.
“This is associated with weak institutions, which have contributed to the corruption ravaging our country,” Salam stated.
Consequently, the House Committee urged the Federal Government and relevant stakeholders to prioritise adequate budgetary provision and ensure full release of funds to the Auditor-General’s Office, saying this would strengthen its capacity to prevent corruption, waste, and mismanagement of public resources.
The OAuGF derives its mandate from Section 85 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), empowering it to audit and report on the public accounts of the Federation and all federal offices and courts.
Despite this critical role, the Office has continued to grapple with budget cuts, delayed releases, and insufficient capital funding, limiting its ability to conduct timely audits, adopt modern technology, and build professional capacity.
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Accountability advocates have long warned that weak funding of the nation’s supreme audit institution undermines effective oversight, especially as government spending continues to rise.
With the proposed N58.47 trillion 2026 budget among the largest in Nigeria’s history, analysts say concerns are mounting over whether the Auditor-General’s Office can adequately track public expenditure without stronger financial backing.
They caution that unless funding levels and institutional autonomy are urgently improved, Nigeria’s broader fight against corruption and quest for fiscal discipline may remain significantly hampered.