Economy
Public Finance: Adeosun tasks treasury managers on accountability, transparency
The Honourable Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, has urged Treasury managers to ensure transparency and accountability in the management and control of the country’s public finance. She gave the advice at the second National Treasury Workshop held in Tinapa, Cross River State. The workshop was attended by Directors of Finance and Accounts in all Federal and State Governments’ Ministries, Departments and Agencies, Heads of Finance and Directors of Internal Audit and other stakeholders in national public finance management.
The Minister, who was represented by the Director of Special Projects in the Federal Ministry of Finance, Dr. Mohammed K. Dikwa, emphasised the need for a change in the mindset of Treasury managers in order to reform the basic polity. She said, “The basic and fundamental approach to financial and economic reforms is to reform the basic polity. Reforms must be impacting and sustainable and should fit into the cultural ethos of Nigeria, among others. There is the need to evolve a culture which is value-based. It is expected that this workshop would draw from universal public values such as public trust, accountability, equity, transparency, ethical standard and selflessness.”
Adeosun called for a review of the Finance Control and Management Act of 1958, noting that the law was outdated and weak in instituting greater accountability and transparency in the conduct of government financial businesses. The Finance Control and Management Act provides detailed guidelines on control and management of the public finance of the country. The Minister tasked the nation’s Treasury managers to critically examine the Finance Control and Management Act and other related financial issues with a view to addressing some of the inherent deficiencies in the provisions. On the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), she explained that it was conceived by the President Muhammadu Buhari Administration towards laying a solid foundation for long-term economic growth.
She added that the emphasis of the ERGP was on local content business empowerment. “The ERGP has been further designed to build competitive market, invest in infrastructure and human resources as well as harmonise monetary, trade and fiscal policies for the purposes of boosting non-oil revenue, reduction in cost of governance, privatisation of selected public enterprises/assets, delivery on agriculture and transportation, among others,” the Minister stated. Adeosun recalled that the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Finance had embarked upon a number of financial reforms with a review to strengthening governance, accountability, reduce corruption and deliver service more effectively.
She listed some of the initiatives introduced by the Government to include: full implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA), Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA), Revenue Boosting Initiatives, Fiscal Sustainability Plan, Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS), Whistleblower Policy, Cash Management, Efficiency Unit, Healthpay Project, Family Homes Project, Asset Tracing Team, and Road Trust Fund, among others. Earlier in his address at the workshop, the Accountant-General of the Federation, Alhaji Ahmed Idris, had urged public financial managers to come up with innovative ideas to address some of the challenges facing the Treasury and economy.
Idris said, “I will advise our public financial managers to see the current challenges facing the treasury and the economy as an opportunity to spur them to form a united front that will generate great ideas resulting in the provision of lasting solutions to the problems.”
The Arab Africa Trade Bridges (AATB) Program and the Federal Republic of Nigeria formalized a partnership with the signing of the AATB Membership Agreement, officially welcoming Nigeria as the Program’s newest member country. The signing ceremony took place in Abuja on the sidelines of the 5th AATB Board of Governors Meeting, hosted by the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The Membership Agreement was signed by Eng. Adeeb Y. Al Aama, the CEO of the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) and AATB Program Secretary General, and H.E. Mr. Wale Edun, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Federal Republic of Nigeria. The Agreement will provide a strategic and operational framework to support Nigeria’s efforts in trade competitiveness, promote export diversification, strengthen priority value chains, and advance capacity-building efforts in line with national development priorities. Areas of collaboration will include trade promotion, agribusiness modernization, SME development, businessmen missions, trade facilitation, logistics efficiency, and digital trade readiness.
The Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, called for deeper trade collaboration between African and Arab nations, stressing the importance of value-added Agribusiness and industrial partnerships for regional growth. Speaking in Abuja at the Agribusiness Matchmaking Forum ahead of the AATB Board of Governors Meeting, the Minister said the shifting global economy makes it essential for African and Arab nations to rely more on regional cooperation, investment and shared markets.
He highlighted projections showing Arab-Africa trade could grow by more than US$37 billion in the next three years and urged partners to prioritize value addition rather than raw commodity exports. He noted that Nigeria’s growing industrial base and upcoming National Single Window reforms will support efficiency, investment and private-sector expansion.
“This is a moment to turn opportunity into action”, he said. “By working together, we can build stronger value chains, create jobs and support prosperity across our regions”, Edun emphasized. “As African and Arab nations embark on this journey of deeper trade collaboration, the potential for growth and development is vast. With a shared vision and commitment to value-added partnerships, we can unlock new opportunities, drive economic growth, and create a brighter future for our people.”
Speaking during the event, Eng. Adeeb Y. Al Aama, Chief Executive Officer of ITFC and Secretary General of the AATB Program, stated: “We are pleased to welcome Nigeria to be part of the AATB Program. Nigeria stands as one of Africa’s most dynamic and resilient economies in Africa, with a rapidly expanding private sector and strong potential across agribusiness, energy, manufacturing, and digital industries. Through this Membership Agreement, we look forward to collaborating closely with Nigerian institutions to strengthen value chains, expand regional market access, enhance trade finance and investment opportunities, and support the country’s development priorities.”
The signing of this Agreement underscores AATB’s continued engagement with African countries and its evolving portfolio of programs supporting trade and investment. In recent years, AATB has worked on initiatives across agribusiness, textiles, logistics, digital trade, export readiness under the AfCFTA framework, and other regional initiatives such as the Common African Agro-Parks (CAAPs) Programme.
With Nigeria’s accession, the AATB Program extends it’s presence in the region and adds a key partner working toward advancing trade-led development and fostering inclusive economic growth.
Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the 2026–2028 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), a key fiscal document that outlines Nigeria’s revenue expectations, macroeconomic assumptions, and spending priorities for the next three years. The approval followed Wednesday’s FEC meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Abuja. The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu made this known after the meeting.
The Minister said the Federal Government is projecting a total revenue inflow of N34.33 trillion in 2026, including N4.98 trillion expected from government-owned enterprises. Bagudu said that the projected revenue is N6.55 trillion lower than earlier estimates, adding that federal allocations are expected to drop by about N9.4 trillion, representing a 16% decline compared to the 2025 budget.
He said that statutory transfers are expected to amount to about N3 trillion within the same fiscal year. On macroeconomic assumptions, FEC adopted an oil production benchmark of 2.6 million barrels per day (mbpd) for 2026, although a more conservative 1.8 mbpd will be used for budgeting purposes. An oil price benchmark of $64 per barrel and an exchange rate of N1,512 per dollar were also approved.
Bagudu said the exchange rate assumption reflects projections tied to economic and political developments ahead of the 2027 general elections. He said the exchange rate assumption took into account the fiscal outlook ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The minister said that all the parameters were based on macroeconomic analysis by the Budget Office and other relevant agencies. Bagudu said FEC also reviewed comments from cabinet members before approving the Medium-Term Fiscal Expenditure Ceiling (MFTEC), which sets expenditure limits. Earlier, the Senate approved the external borrowing plan of $21.5 billion presented by President Tinubu for consideration The loans, according to the Senate, were part of the MTEF and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) for the 2025 budget.
The spot rate on Nigerian Treasury bills has been increased by 146 basis points by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) following tight subscription levels at the main auction on Wednesday. The spot rate on Treasury bills with one-year maturity has now surpassed Nigeria’s 16.05% inflation by 145 basis points following a recent decision to keep the policy rate at 27%.
The Apex Bank came to the primary market with N700 billion Treasury bills offer size across standard tenors, including 91-day, 182-day and 364 day maturities. Details from the auction results showed that demand settled slightly above the total offers as investors began to seek higher returns on naira assets despite disinflation.
Total subscription came in at about N775 billion versus N700 billion offers floated at the main auction. The results showed rising appetite for duration as investors parked about 90% of their bids on Nigerian Treasury bills with 364 days maturity. The CBN opened N100 billion worth of 91 days bills for subscription, but the offer received underwhelming bids totalling N44.17 billion.
The CBN allotted N42.80 billion for the short-term instrument at the spot rate of 15.30%, the same as the previous auction. Total demand for 182 days Nigerian Treasury bills settled at N33.38 billion as against N150 billion that the authority pushed out for subscription. The CBN raised N30.36 billion from 182 days bills allotted to investors at the spot rate of 15.50%, the same as the previous auction.
Investors staked N697.29 billion on N450 billion in 364-day Treasury bills that was offered for subscription. The CBN raised N636.46 billion from the longest tenor at the spot rate of 17.50%, up from 16.04% at the previous auction.
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