By Abba-Eku Onyeka, Abuja
The Senate has expressed deep concern over the low remittances of revenues generated in 2024 by ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) and some government-owned enterprises (GOEs) to the Federation Account.
This concern was raised on Monday by Senator Sani Musa, Chairman of the Joint Finance Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives, during an interactive session on the MDAs’ revenue projections for 2025.
The MDAs that attended the meeting included: Nigeria Customs Service (NCS); Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC); Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB); Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS); Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) and; Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC).
Senator Musa stated that the Senate is worried about the substantial revenue accruals to the MDAs and their consistently low remittances to the federation account. This trend undermines the government’s capacity to fund critical infrastructure and social services, raising concerns about inefficiency, mismanagement, and possible revenue leakages.
The Joint Finance Committee’s mandate is to ensure transparency, accountability, and efficiency in the financial operations of the agencies. To achieve this, the committee will continue to scrutinize the MDAs’ revenue projections, performance, and adherence to statutory remittance obligations. The goal is to identify systematic doubts and recommend actionable results to reverse the troubling patterns.
Senator Musa sought the cooperation and understanding of all stakeholders, emphasizing the importance of accurate data, comprehensive records, and open data for the benefit of Nigerians. He urged everyone to approach these tasks with a shared commitment to building a stronger, more accountable fiscal framework for Nigeria.
