HOW TAMINU YAKUBU IS DRIVING BUDGET INNOVATION IN NIGERIA

By Andrew Oche

The Budget Office of the Federation, an agency within the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, traces its origins to 1921 when it was established as the Bureau of the Budget (BOB) within the Treasury Department. Since its inception, it has played a critical role of varying significance in Nigeria’s governance and economic planning.

Over the years, the Budget Office has undergone progressive transformation, evolving through innovative reforms, restructuring initiatives, and strategic collaborations at both national and subnational levels. The agency has adapted through institutional and stakeholder engagements, focusing on developing and implementing the federal budget, overseeing budget allocations across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), and managing government-wide initiatives to improve the welfare of citizens.

These transformative changes reflect the Federal Government of Nigeria’s commitment to refining the budgetary process, enhancing presidential influence, advancing the Renewed Hope Agenda, and fostering efficiency, integrity, and effectiveness in government operations. Historically, a series of reforms has progressively shifted the agency away from colonial practices toward a more formalised and dynamic system.

Today, a robust model of synergy and collaboration exists, characterised by shared values and an inclusive budgetary process that involves both the legislative and administrative arms of government.This wave of innovation has gained momentum since Alhaji Taminu Yakubu Kurfi assumed the role of Director-General of the Budget Office. A former Commissioner of Finance, Budget, and Economic Planning in Katsina State from 1999 to 2002, and Chief Economic Adviser to President Umaru Yar’Adua, Alhaji Yakubu has proven his competence and justified the confidence placed in him by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu through his initiation of landmark reforms.

One of his key initiatives has been to strengthen the National Assembly’s role in the appropriation process while enhancing coordination for effective oversight, resulting in a dynamic, people-oriented annual budget. His commitment to accountability has transformed the Budget Office from a primarily execution-focused agency to one that emphasises monitoring and supervision. This ensures that approved and released funds are utilised for their intended projects, programs, and interventions without misappropriation, misapplication, or misallocation.

Alhaji Yakubu has also elevated the Budget Office’s role in sustaining development and ensuring the timely preparation of the annual budget, aligning it with specific fiscal objectives. Budget presentations are no longer ceremonial events but platforms for practical, sustainable, and verifiable analyses of macroeconomic indices, growth projections, and development factors. This approach facilitates effective monitoring and control of economic planning, making state infrastructure planning and implementation more feasible.

Under his leadership, the Budget Office has sustained the preparation of Development Plans and the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework while actively monitoring capital projects to eliminate the issue of abandoned federal projects. Through his influence, transparency, and resolute lobbying prowess, Alhaji Yakubu has attracted reliable development partners and ensured effective monitoring of fund disbursement and application.

Alhaji Yakubu has established a robust process for state infrastructure planning and has positively impacted the implementation of developmental plans at both national and subnational levels. His steadfast integrity and sincerity have led to the development of an uncompromising monitoring framework for capital projects and the timely preparation of appraisal documents. This has accelerated progress and ensured structural compliance in all ongoing federal projects.

His integrity, accountability, and transparency have fostered confidence, dependability, and trust among development partners, enhancing their willingness to engage and invest in Nigeria. Alhaji Yakubu’s devotion has brought consistency and sanity to the budgetary process, improving fiscal policy implementation and strengthening the management of initiatives under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

An unassuming and patriotic statesman, Alhaji Yakubu personally monitors capital projects to verify their progress, contributing to the successes recorded across various sectors of the economy. His holistic reforms include workforce motivation, recognising staff as vital stakeholders in growth. To this end, he introduced a mixed-skill arrangement that enhances the capacity of existing staff by integrating inter-agency professionals, ensuring timely remuneration and fostering a proficient, engaged workforce.

Acknowledging the importance of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Alhaji Yakubu has leveraged modern, state-of-the-art digital tools to optimise service delivery. This has created a highly productive and committed workforce capable of supporting the goals and vision of President Tinubu’s drive for a prosperous Nigeria.

Alhaji Yakubu has also fostered a conducive work environment, enhanced staff capacity, and provided necessary tools, including official and private vehicles for efficient project monitoring and evaluation. As a highly intellectual and cerebral administrator, he has identified cost-saving strategies for budget analysis and devised methods to improve forecasting and variance analysis, achieving nearly 90% accuracy in predicting revenue and expenditure trends. This robust forecasting model accounts for seasonal fluctuations, resulting in improved outcomes.

The adoption of cross-functional teams has aligned the annual national budget with the goals of government MDAs, fostering collaboration, synergy, and peer review across different arms and tiers of government. Alhaji Yakubu has enriched the budget process by incorporating strategic planning, compliance indicators, and meticulous tracking of disbursed funds and project implementation. His engagement with critical stakeholders, partners, and investors at both national and subnational levels has built confidence and facilitated seamless implementation, efficiency, and effectiveness.

As an astute administrator, Alhaji Yakubu’s commitment to structural and systemic reforms is yielding results, transforming the operations of Permanent Secretaries and introducing efficiency across MDAs.His pragmatic approach has enabled Nigeria to operate a triple budget instrument—the 2024 Main Appropriation Act, the 2024 Supplementary Budget, and the 2025 Appropriation Act—seamlessly. Notably, Alhaji Yakubu ensured that the 2025 Appropriation Act was prepared and signed before the end of 2024, a remarkable achievement that underscores his commitment to fiscal discipline and timely budget implementation.

These reforms have contributed to economic recovery, increased gross domestic product, and enhanced fiscal efficiency. Innovations in the upstream sector have reduced production costs, increased crude oil output to 2.6 million barrels per day, and boosted profitability. Recognising the agricultural sector’s importance, Alhaji Yakubu has prioritised timely fund releases for agricultural inputs such as fertilisers, agrochemicals, and tractors, significantly enhancing food production, security, and availability. Alhaji Taminu Yakubu Kurfi has led an inspiring stabilisation of Nigeria’s economy, reduced inflation, and promoted economic growth within the framework of the Renewed Hope Agenda through the Budget Office. His leadership continues to drive transformative change, ensuring a prosperous future for Nigeria.

Oche writes from Makurdi.

Professor Muhammad Omolaja, NLP Dump SDP, join NRM

BY COMRADE AJIBADE ALABI

Former presidential aspirant under the Action Democratic Party (ADP) during the 2023 general election and the National Chairman of the National Liberation Patriots (NLP), a political group having members in all the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) of Nigeria – Professor Muhammad Omolaja – and his group have finally dumped the Social Democratic Party (SDP). The high profile politician cum academician per excellence together with his group members in Nigeria and in Diaspora, have joined the National Rescue Movements (NRM) ahead of the forthcoming 2027 general election. This announcement was made by the Media Director for Professor Muhammad Omolaja and NLP, Comrade Ajibade Alabi, who addressed the press in Abuja on Friday, July 18, 2025.”I have to officially announce to you the gentlemen of the press that the marriage between Professor Muhammad Omolaja, a former Chieftain of the SDP, has come to an end and so also the NLP has seized to be a political group under the SDP. The group and its National Chairman, Prof. Omolaja, have moved on to join the National Rescue Movements (NRM). We will as usual do our best in the Party (NRM) to contribute to its becoming a household name in every home throughout the nooks and corners of Nigeria and accepted to the generality of Nigerians. As the name of the Party (NRM) implies, we are out to rescue (liberate) Nigerians from the bondage that the present government of All Progressive Congress (APC) is unleashing on them. We pray and hope that comes 2027, Nigerians will take the bull by the horns and make a good choice by rally round our Party to rescue the country thereby restore its lost glory in all ramifications. Thank you all.” Ajibade concluded.  The alignment of the NLP and their new Party (NRM) took place on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, at the Abuja palatial home of the National Chairman of the Party – Chief (Dr.) Edozie Njoku – where the NLP representatives including the National Chairman, Prof. Muhammad Omolaja, were well received; and lavishly and cordially entertained. Other National Officers of the Party in attendance with the National Chairman were the Deputy National Chairman (South) – Hon. Anselem Chinadu Nebeife, Chief Freedom Okwuchukwu, the National Publicity Secretary – Hon. Henry Chinyelugo Abatete, the Deputy National Treasurer – Chief Festus Ukwu, a Leader and one of the Southern State Chairmen – Dr. Mike Nze as well as the Ogun State Chairman who was instrumental to this golden union – Prince, (Dr., Otunba, Chief) Adeyemi Alli. While formally receiving the entire NLP members both in Nigeria and in Diaspora into the Party, the National Chairman of NRM, Chief (Dr.) Edozie Njoku, used the golden opportunity to assure all new members of the Party particularly from the NLP of a perfect level-playing ground in all political engagements of the Party. He further reinstated his determination and commitment to building the great Party (NRM) into an enviable first force political platform across the nooks and corners of the Federal Government of Nigeria

BREAKING: ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON ANAMBRA PDP GOVERNORSHIP CANDIDATE SIR JUDE EZENWAFOR — HON. PRINCE CHINEDU NSOFOR (KPAKPANDO NDIGBO) CONDEMNS DASTARDLY ACT

BY JOSEPH MONDAY

Anambra, Nigeria — Hon. Prince Chinedu Nsofor, frontline PDP senatorial aspirant in the August 16th Anambra South Senatorial District bye-election, has issued a strong condemnation of the recent assassination attempt on Ambassador Sir Jude Ezenwafor, the PDP governorship candidate in the forthcoming Anambra State gubernatorial election.

The attempted attack, which comes barely a week after Nsofor himself narrowly escaped a violent kidnapping, has sent shockwaves across political circles and ignited fresh concerns about the escalating insecurity in Nigeria. In a somber statement, Nsofor said, “This is not just a coordinated attack on a person, but an attack on democracy, justice, and the will of the people.”

Nsofor recalled his own traumatic experience on Thursday July 10th, 2025, when he was ambushed by armed men disguised in military uniforms while traveling by road through Loma, Kogi State. The vehicle he had chartered for a night journey, in a bid to save campaign costs, was forcefully diverted into the forest, where he and others were severely beaten and held captive for ransom. “It was only by divine intervention — rain scattering the captors — that I was able to untie myself and escape,” he recounted.

Expressing deep concern, he added, “Barely one week after my escape from kidnappers, our party’s governorship candidate faces an assassination attempt. Who is safe in this country anymore?”

Nsofor called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to overhaul Nigeria’s deteriorating security architecture, demanding a robust intelligence and operational framework to combat violent crime and terrorism. “The Federal Government must increase intelligence gathering, equip our security forces, and act decisively to fish out the evil terrorizing our land,” he stated.

While praying for the speedy recovery and fortitude of Ambassador Ezenwafor, Nsofor did not mince words in calling for divine justice. “I pray that the judgment of God will fall heavily on the wicked men who tried to take the life of His Excellency Sir Jude and on the bandits who kidnapped me last week. May their evil plans boomerang upon them a hundredfold, in the mighty name of Jesus.”

He emphasized that such attacks should never deter good people from answering the call to serve. “We must not allow Nigeria to become a place where noble aspirations are cut short by the bullet. My thoughts are with the people of Anambra and every conscientious Nigerian who is working for a better future.”

Identifying insecurity as the foremost challenge facing Nigeria, Nsofor proposed a bold and comprehensive legislative solution. “I will sponsor a bill to formally regulate the Fulani herdsmen enterprise by mandating a nationwide biometric registration system. Every herdsman must present a minimum of fifty credible guarantors and undergo biometric capturing to be issued a traceable ID card. Any herder found without this ID or operating unlawfully shall be deemed an illegal operator and face life imprisonment. Guarantors of any offender will also be held equally accountable. Through this system, we can trace, monitor, and eliminate rogue elements hiding behind a legitimate trade,” he declared.

In his closing remarks, Hon. Chinedu Nsofor raised heartfelt prayers for national healing and peace:
“I pray for divine intervention in our land. May the Almighty God protect every sincere leader and candidate from the snare of the wicked. I pray that the spirit of violence, terrorism, kidnapping, political thuggery, and assassination will be destroyed completely in Nigeria. May our military and security agencies be empowered, and may the God of justice avenge every bloodshed by evil men. I ask that the peace of God flood across the North, South, East, and West of our great nation. May no parent mourn their child because of politics, and may Nigeria rise again with a new order of safety, unity, and progress. In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.”