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By Tracy Moses
The House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has raised alarm over the gross underfunding of the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation (OAuGF), warning that inadequate financing may aggravate corruption and weaken accountability mechanisms in the country.
The concern was highlighted during the 2026 budget defence session with the OAuGF held at the National Assembly on Wednesday.
Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Bamidele Salam, alongside other members, expressed deep worry over the minimal resources allocated to the office, which is constitutionally mandated to audit over 1,000 Ministries, Departments, Agencies (MDAs), and government-funded institutions.
Presenting an overview of the 2025 budget performance, Auditor-General Mr. Shaakaa Kanyitor Chira stated that poor release of allocated funds had hampered the operations of the office, leaving gaps in the execution of its statutory mandate.
He revealed that the office was able to audit only five of Nigeria’s foreign missions in 2025 due to funding shortfalls, while also struggling with unpaid rents in some locations and a shortage of personnel.
“While N653 million was appropriated for auditing foreign missions, only N371 million was expended, leaving an outstanding balance of N282 million, representing 56% of the total amount released,” Chira said.
He further disclosed that for 2026, the OAuGF proposed a budget of N3.4 billion for auditing foreign missions, but the Budget Office capped it at just N633.8 million, a fraction of what is required.
Chira also noted that only four per cent of the office’s capital allocation was released in 2025, a situation that “significantly impaired operational capacity.”
Reviewing the proposed N15.88 billion allocation for 2026, the Committee observed that the amount represents merely 0.027 per cent of the N58.4 trillion Federal Government budget for the year, an allocation the lawmakers described as “grossly disproportionate” to the office’s constitutional responsibilities.
Speaking on the matter, PAC Chairman Hon. Salam said, “It is unrealistic to expect the Auditor-General’s Office to effectively scrutinize a proposed expenditure of N58.4 trillion with such minimal funding.
The office is the only one constitutionally empowered to ensure that public funds are well spent, yet it struggles with less than N6 billion for its operations.”
He added, “Weakening oversight institutions through inadequate financing ultimately undermines transparency and accountability in public financial management. This is linked to weak institutions, which have contributed to the corruption ravaging our country.”
A breakdown of the 2026 budget proposal for the OAuGF shows N5.3 billion earmarked for personnel costs, N5.6 billion for overheads, and N4.8 billion for capital expenditure.
The Committee urged the Federal Government and relevant stakeholders to prioritize adequate appropriation and full release of funds to the Auditor-General’s Office. Doing so, they stressed, would enhance its capacity to perform its constitutional mandate effectively and proactively prevent corruption, waste, and mismanagement of public resources.