The House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has recommended that 22 federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) be excluded from the 2026 Appropriation Act over alleged persistent violations of financial accountability and refusal to submit to legislative oversight.
The decision followed a public hearing held on Thursday, where the committee reviewed audit queries contained in the Auditor-General for the Federation’s reports covering 2020, 2021 and 2022.
According to the committee, the affected agencies repeatedly failed to honour invitations, declined to provide critical financial documents, and refused to appear before lawmakers to clarify issues related to non-compliance with financial regulations, breaches of due process, and weak internal control systems.
Among the agencies recommended for budget exclusion are the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Federal Housing Authority (FHA), Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB), Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, and the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.
Others listed include the Federal University of Gashua; Federal Polytechnic Ede; Federal Polytechnic Offa; Federal Medical Centre Owerri; Federal Medical Centre Makurdi; Federal Medical Centre Bida; Federal Medical Centre Birnin Kebbi; Federal Medical Centre Katsina; Federal Government College Kwali; Federal Government Boys’ College Garki; Federal Government College Rubochi; Federal College of Land Resources Technology Owerri; Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria; and the FCT Secondary Education Board.
Chairman of the committee, Bamidele Salam, stated that the National Assembly could not continue to allocate public funds to institutions that had failed to account for previous appropriations or ignored lawful summons.
“Public funds are held in trust for the Nigerian people. Any agency that fails to account for previous allocations, refuses to submit audited accounts, or ignores legislative summons cannot expect fresh budgetary provisions. Accountability is not optional; it is a constitutional obligation,” Salam said.
He explained that the recommendation was intended to restore fiscal discipline and strengthen transparency within federal institutions. Several of the agencies, he noted, had not submitted audited financial statements for between three and five years, contrary to statutory requirements.
The committee maintained that its proposed action aligns with the Financial Regulations 2009 and the constitutional oversight powers vested in the National Assembly.
If upheld during the final budget approval process, the recommendation could mark one of the most sweeping enforcement measures taken by lawmakers to compel compliance with audit and financial reporting standards in recent years.