Kunle Sanni- Abuja
President Bola Tinubu on Friday declared that the year 2026 will mark a turning point in fiscal governance, pledging stricter discipline in budget execution.
The President addressing a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives in Abuja, said he has issued firm directives to key fiscal authorities to ensure that the 2026 Budget is implemented strictly in line with approved provisions and timelines.
“I have issued directives to the Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, the Honourable Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, the Accountant-General of the Federation, and the Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation to ensure that the 2026 Budget is implemented strictly in line with the appropriated details and timelines,” Tinubu said.
He expressed confidence that government revenues would improve in 2026, driven by the new National Tax Acts and ongoing reforms in the oil and gas sector. He noted that the reforms are designed not only to raise revenue but also to strengthen transparency, efficiency, fairness and long-term value within Nigeria’s fiscal framework.
“We expect improved revenue performance through the new National Tax Acts and the ongoing reforms in the oil and gas sector—reforms designed not merely to raise revenue, but to drive transparency, efficiency, fairness, and long-term value in our fiscal architecture,” the President stated.
Tinubu also issued a stern warning to Government-Owned Enterprises (GOEs), directing their heads to meet assigned revenue targets or face consequences. He announced plans to deploy end-to-end digitisation of revenue mobilisation across government agencies to seal leakages and improve compliance.
The digitisation initiative, he said, will include standardised electronic collections, interoperable payment systems, automated reconciliation, data-driven risk profiling and real-time performance dashboards to ensure prompt and verifiable remittances.
“These targets will form core components of performance evaluations and institutional scorecards,” Tinubu said, stressing that Nigeria can no longer tolerate inefficiencies or underperformance in strategic agencies.
“Nigeria can no longer afford leakages, inefficiencies, or underperformance in strategic agencies. Every institution must play its part,” the President added.
