The Federal Government has given ministries, departments and agencies until September 18, 2026, to submit their personnel budget proposals for the 2027 fiscal year.
The directive is part of the government’s plan to present the 2027 budget proposal to the National Assembly in September.
The move is aimed at improving Nigeria’s budget cycle and reducing delays that have affected implementation in recent years.
MDAs given September 18 deadline
The deadline was contained in the 2027 Personnel Costs Budget Call Circular dated September 4, 2026.
The document was signed by the Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Tanimu Yakubu.
According to the circular, all MDAs must submit both hard and electronic copies of their personnel budget proposals.
The deadline is 4pm on Friday, September 18, 2026.
The submissions must also include the required supporting information.
Government targets earlier budget presentation
The Federal Government plans to submit the 2027 spending proposal to lawmakers in September.
This would put the budget before the National Assembly about three months before the start of the 2027 fiscal year.
The government hopes the earlier process will improve budget implementation.
Nigeria has struggled with delayed budget approvals and overlapping fiscal years in recent years.
2027-2029 fiscal framework completed
The Budget Office said the draft 2027-2029 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper was completed in July 2026.
The framework was prepared in line with the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007.
The early completion was intended to support the government’s plan to present the 2027 budget in September.
The Budget Office said the move would help improve the overall budget preparation process.
New requirement for government agencies
The circular also introduced a new requirement for MDAs.
Agencies must now submit the laws that established them alongside their budget proposals.
The government said the measure would help prevent unrecognised or non-existent agencies from appearing in the federal budget.
The Budget Office warned that proposals could be rejected if the required establishment law is not provided.
Fake agency controversy prompts action
The new requirement follows controversy surrounding the 2026 federal budget.
A purported agency known as the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council was included in the budget.
The agency was allocated about N1.3 billion, despite questions over its legal status.
The development raised concerns about how agencies and projects are verified before being included in the national budget.
The Budget Office said the new rule is intended to strengthen that verification process.
Government seeks better budget planning
The Federal Government has also been working to improve the economic assumptions used in preparing the national budget.
Officials previously identified differences in projections for crude oil prices, oil production, exchange rates, inflation and non-oil revenue.
These differences contributed to gaps between budget projections and actual economic performance.
Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, said harmonising the assumptions should reduce such discrepancies.
The government now hopes that earlier preparation and tighter verification will lead to more realistic budgets and better implementation.
