Abuja, August 2025 — The implementation of Nigeria’s 2025 federal budget faces a potential rollover into 2026 following the decision of the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) to lock the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) cash-planning portal.
The portal, which enables Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to submit their monthly cash plans, has remained inaccessible since May 2025. Without approved cash plans, the Treasury cannot issue warrants or Authorities to Incur Expenditure (AIEs), effectively halting contract awards and delaying payments for ongoing projects.
Accountant-General Shamseldeen Ogunjimi defended the measure as part of efforts to enforce strict adherence to the Bottom-Up Cash Planning Policy and to ensure that no spending commitments are made without corresponding funding provisions.
Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, reiterated that MDAs must operate strictly within approved warrants and align spending with available cash flow. He added that the government is integrating unspent capital funds from the 2024 budget into the 2025 fiscal year through GIFMIS to streamline expenditure and avoid the accumulation of unpaid obligations.
However, economists warn that the overlap in the execution of the 2024 and 2025 budgets could create a “dual-budget” scenario, increasing the risk of inefficiency, project duplication, and reduced transparency in public spending.
The prolonged freeze has already disrupted project timelines, with stakeholders expressing concern that if the impasse continues, the capital component of the 2025 budget may be carried over into 2026, further delaying critical infrastructure and development initiatives across the country.
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