The National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of AUDA-NEPAD Nigeria, Hon. Jabiru Salisu Abdullahi Tsauri, has expressed profound satisfaction following the adoption of the agency’s 2025 budget performance and the approval of its 2026 budget proposal by the National Assembly’s Joint Committee.
Speaking to journalists shortly after the budget defence session, Hon. Tsauri described the engagement as a fundamental pillar of democratic governance and public accountability, emphasizing that the annual budget defence process ensures transparency and responsible stewardship of public resources.
According to him, the National Assembly plays a constitutional role in holding government agencies accountable to the Nigerian people.
“Based on the fact that this is an annual event, and we are all accountable to the people of Nigeria, the National Assembly is the body that holds every agency and every person in government accountable. I am 100 per cent satisfied that my 2025 budget performance was approved, and the 2026 proposal was also approved by the Joint Committee,” he stated.
Addressing concerns over funding constraints experienced across government institutions, the AUDA-NEPAD Nigeria boss acknowledged that delayed releases have affected implementation of approved budgets in recent years.
“It is no news. A budget is an allocation of resources, and those resources have to be released in order to be effectively utilised. If not released, there will be problems, which we have seen in 2024 and 2025,” he noted.
Despite these challenges, Hon. Tsauri commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for initiating decisive fiscal reforms aimed at improving budget performance and ensuring more efficient funding mechanisms.
“I know Mr President has taken huge steps toward the end of last year, which culminated in the budget of this year. This particular year, only one single budget will perform. All the rest will be funded and fully paid, as outlined by Mr President before March this year,” he added.
He further expressed optimism about Nigeria’s development trajectory, stressing that as a growing nation, continuous policy adjustments remain essential to achieving sustainable economic and institutional progress.
“Nigeria is a growing nation, and a lot of things will be tried until we get it right—and we are getting it right with this administration,” he concluded.
