The Federal Government has called on the World Bank to expedite the approval and disbursement of project funds to Nigeria, threatening to cancel any of the loans delayed beyond six months. A statement by the Director, Press and Public Relations, Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF), Bawa Mokwa, on Friday, noted that the Accountant-General of the Federation, Dr.
Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, appealed in Abuja during a courtesy visit by a World Bank delegation led by Manager of the World Bank Team, Treed Lane. He stressed that the facilities are loans that the country is obliged to repay, not grants. According to him, prolonged delays in the approval process could undermine the government’s interest in accessing such facilities.
“If approvals take more than six months, the Nigerian Government may no longer honour such arrangements,” he stated. The AGF emphasised that, as a responsible borrower, Nigeria deserved timely consideration and processing of its funding requests. He urged the World Bank to fast-track approval processes and ensure the prompt release of project funds to support the country’s development priorities.
Dr. Ogunjimi further informed the delegation that the OAGF has commenced action on critical issues earlier raised by the World Bank, particularly in the areas of public financial management statements and audit reporting. He disclosed that the 2023 Audit Report would be submitted to the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation within two weeks, while work on the 2024 and 2025 audit reports is already in progress.
READ ALSO: Ribadu Briefs US Vice President Vance On Reforms, National Security, Others The AGF also assured the delegation that concerns relating to the digitalisation of the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) are being addressed, noting that obsolete infrastructure is currently being replaced with modern technology to improve efficiency and service delivery.
Earlier in her remarks, Lane congratulated Dr. Ogunjimi on his recent appointment as the African Chairman of the Association of Accountants-General. She further encouraged the OAGF to sustain its efforts toward digitalising its operations and ensuring the timely presentation of professional financial statements to the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation to strengthen seamless public financial management processes.