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No Budget, No Contract as FG Unveils Tough New Rules for Ministries

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The Federal Government has rolled out a sweeping new directive barring Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) from awarding contracts or entering into financial commitments without first securing budgetary approval and cash backing.

The new policy, aimed at strengthening fiscal discipline and tackling the persistent problem of abandoned projects, was contained in a Federal Treasury Circular dated July 31, 2026, and signed by the Accountant-General of the Federation, Dr. Shamseldeen Ogunjimi.

SEE ALSO: Fake Agency DG Adeniyi Reveals How ₦1.3bn Found Its Way Into 2026 Budget

Addressed to ministers, permanent secretaries, heads of extra-ministerial departments and agencies, accounting officers and federal pay officers, the circular said the fresh operational guidelines became necessary following widespread violations of the Public Procurement Act, 2007, and other financial regulations governing public expenditure.

“Further to the Treasury Circular… captioned ‘Revised Policy on Cash Management and Bottom-Up Cash Plan Operational Guidelines,’ it has become necessary to strengthen and deepen the implementation of the policy sequel to the observed non-compliance with the Public Procurement Act, 2007, and other extant laws and regulations,” the circular stated.

It added, “To ensure full compliance and seamless implementation of the policy, the following operational guidelines for the implementation of the 2026 capital budgets are hereby issued.”

Under the new guidelines, no MDA is permitted to issue letters of award, sign contracts or incur financial obligations unless a Warrant or Authority to Incur Expenditure (AIE) covering the full or committed contract sum has been released by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy to the Accountant-General of the Federation.

The circular stated, “No expenditure shall be incurred except on the authority of a Warrant/AIE (including employee payables).

Accordingly, no MDA shall issue letters of award, sign contracts, or enter into any financial obligations unless the corresponding Warrant/AIE covering the full or committed portion of the contract sum has been duly released by the Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy to the Accountant-General of the Federation.”

To ensure compliance, the Office of the Accountant-General directed MDAs to attach copies of Warrants or AIEs generated through the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) as proof that funds are available before contracts are awarded or payments processed.

The circular also warned that financial commitments, including purchase invoices and employee payables, must never exceed available warrant balances.

“All MDAs shall ensure that financial commitments (purchase invoices and employee payables) are limited to uncommitted warrant balances; and at no time should financial commitments exceed the amount of Warrants/AIEs available,” it stated.

In another directive, the Bureau of Public Procurement was instructed to process only applications for “No Objection” certificates that are supported by valid Warrants or AIEs.

The Accountant-General further reminded accounting officers that awarding contracts without adequate funding is a violation of the law.

“Accounting Officers are invited to note that it is an offence under the ICPC Act 2000 to award or sign any contract without budgetary provision, approval and cash backing,” the circular warned.

To improve budget implementation, the Federal Government directed all MDAs to submit annual and quarterly cash plans for their capital budgets to the Office of the Accountant-General. It also instructed agencies to prioritise projects in line with government policy objectives, while the Cash Management Technical Committee will continue reviewing implementation plans and advising on priority projects.

The latest directive reinforces the Federal Government’s revised cash management policy introduced in 2024 and is expected to reduce abandoned projects, curb the accumulation of unpaid contractual liabilities and ensure that capital projects are executed only when sufficient budgetary provisions and cash backing are in place.

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Yenagoa Hosts NCDMB 2026 Content Forum

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NCDMB Emerges Best MDA In Ease Of Doing Business Ranking

The 15th edition of the Practical Nigerian Content Forum (PNCF) is billed for Yenagoa, Bayelsa State from November 30.

This edition of the initiative of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) would hold be in collaboration with the Bayelsa State Government as disclosed on Tuesday when a delegation of the NCDMB and DMG Events met with the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Dr Peter Pereotubo Akpe, at the Government House, Yenagoa.

Leading the delegation, the General Manager, Corporate Communications Division of NCDMB, Dr Obinna Ezeobi, conveyed the appreciation of the Executive Secretary of the board, Felix Omatsola Ogbe, to the state government for its continued support for the forum.

He said, “We appreciate the Bayelsa State Government for its continued partnership and support for the PNC Forum”.

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According to him, the Youth PNC was designed to expose young people in the Niger Delta to emerging opportunities in the oil and gas industry and the competencies required to build successful careers in other sectors of the economy.

Ezeobi added, “We have introduced new initiatives into this year’s programme to ensure that the PNC continues to deliver greater value to participants and address emerging issues in the Nigerian content space.”

The Senior Manager, Zonal Coordination, NCDMB, Mr Adebayo Joseph, spoke on plans for the Youth PNC, while the leader of the DMG Events delegation, Ms Olamide Oloko, outlined the major activities planned for the conference.

Oloko said the new initiatives would include a Local Content Roundtable and a two-day programme for Local Community Contractors aimed at helping them scale up their operations.

She added, “The 2026 edition will also feature a breakout session to collate stakeholders’ views on the future direction of Nigerian Content over the next decade.”

Responding, Akpe assured the NCDMB and DMG Events of the state government’s continued support for the PNC Forum.

Akpe said, “The Bayelsa State Government is committed to ensuring that the event is successful and that participants have a conducive and secure environment throughout their stay in the state.”

He said the initiative demonstrated the practical impact of the programme and urged the board to sustain efforts aimed at creating opportunities for young people in the region.

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‘Dem Dey Use Stick Dey Flog Women’ — Nigerians in India Camp Cry Out

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Nigerian women allegedly being held at a deportation facility in India have cried out over their treatment, with a video circulating online showing some of them displaying injuries and alleging that security personnel flogged detainees.

The video began circulating online on Wednesday and shows a group of Nigerian women inside and around what they described as a deportation camp.

Several of the women pointed to marks, bruises and apparent injuries on their legs, feet and bodies while alleging that they were beaten with sticks or canes.

SEE ALSO: Rufai Oseni Row: NiDCOM Breaks Silence on Nigerians Detained in India, Addresses Ekene’s Case

“See my video, see my leg,” one of the women could be heard saying in the footage.

Another woman said, “Mona see wetin dem dey do for deportation camp.”

“Deportation camp, na dem flog person, see,” another woman said while showing what appeared to be an injury.

The women further alleged that female detainees were beaten with sticks.
“Dem dey use stick dey flog women, mona dey see am,” one of them said.

Another woman, while pointing at an injured detainee, said, “Dem carry cane flog o… see her body, dem flog am.”

The women also alleged that police officers carried sticks inside the facility.

“Police carry stick like say dem dey cut firewood,” one of the women said.

The footage shows the women appearing distressed as they moved through the facility and gathered in an outdoor area.

They repeatedly appealed to Nigerians to share the video and draw attention to their situation.

“Make una see… make this video trend/go,” one woman said.

“Make una share am,” another added.
One of the women also expressed frustration over their alleged experience at the facility, saying, “We don suffer, every time, every time.”

The footage comes amid ongoing concerns over Nigerians detained at the Lampur detention centre, also known as Sewa Sadan, in New Delhi.

Recall that in September, reports emerged that more than 200 Nigerians were being held at the facility, with some detainees alleging poor food, inadequate medical care and prolonged detention.

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) subsequently defended its handling of the situation and said the Nigerian High Commission in India was seeking another amnesty period to facilitate the departure of Nigerians without proper immigration documentation.

No official response from the Indian authorities or the Nigerian government specifically addressing the allegations in the latest video had been made available at the time of publication.

 

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‘Military Gets Huge Budgets, Yet Air Crashes Persist’ — Shehu Muhammad

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Military Conducts Mass Burial For Slain Soldiers In Niger Ambush, Air Crash

Rights activist, public affairs analyst and Chief Executive Officer of The Dialogue, Shehu Muhammad, has questioned the continued occurrence of military aircraft crashes despite the huge budgetary allocations to the country’s defence and security sector.

Muhammad spoke while reacting to the recent Nigerian Navy aircraft crash in Irele Local Government Area of Ondo State during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.

Describing the incident as “one incident too many,” he recalled that Nigeria had recorded several military aircraft crashes involving the Nigerian Air Force and Nigerian Army over the years.

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He said the recurring incidents had raised concerns among members of the public about the condition of military aircraft and the process through which military hardware is procured.

“People have begun to cast aspersions as to the honesty, sincerity, and openness in the purchase of military hardware, including airplanes,” Muhammad said.

According to him, the concerns are heightened by the substantial funds allocated to the military and other security agencies over the years.

“There are insinuations by the public that, after all, the military receive the highest amount of money from the budget year in, year out,” he said.

Muhammad also questioned the transparency of defence procurement, particularly the process of selecting contractors for the supply of military equipment.

He argued that the repeated crashes should prompt authorities to examine military aviation operations, aircraft procurement and the management of defence resources.

The latest crash occurred in Irele, Ondo State, with recovery efforts reportedly complicated by the difficult terrain around the crash site.

Muhammad said the latest incident should not be treated in isolation, but should lead to broader questions about military aviation safety and the management of resources allocated to the defence sector.

He called for greater transparency and accountability in the procurement and management of military hardware to restore public confidence.

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