48-Hour Showdown: Lawmakers Threaten to Cut Funding for NPA, NIMASA, FIRS, and Other Defiant Agencies

Tensions reached a boiling point in Abuja as the National Assembly Joint Committee on Finance issued a stern ultimatum to several key revenue-generating agencies: appear within 48 hours for budget defense or face a complete withdrawal of government funding for 2025.

The list of non-compliant agencies reads like a who’s who of national revenue drivers, including the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), and Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC). Others in the spotlight include the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas Limited, among others.

"We Will Not Be Ignored"

Speaking on the second day of the revenue profiling exercise, Senator Sani Musa (APC-Niger), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, did not hold back his frustration. He reminded the agencies that President Bola Tinubu had explicitly mandated all ministries and agencies to defend their budgets before the Assembly as part of the 2025 appropriations process.

“To our dismay, many agencies have blatantly refused to honor our invitations,” Musa stated. “We’ve cut short our Christmas holidays to attend to this critical national assignment, yet these agencies are nowhere to be seen.”

Musa emphasized that the Joint Committee has the constitutional authority to act decisively. “Failure to appear within 48 hours will result in a recommendation to withhold appropriations for these agencies. For self-funded agencies, we’ll call on the Minister of Finance and the Accountant General to cut off their funding.”

A National Priority

James Faleke (APC-Lagos State), Chairman of the House Committee on Finance, echoed Musa’s sentiments. He stressed the importance of the budget defense exercise in boosting revenue generation and curbing the country’s reliance on borrowing.

“If these agencies continue to snub this critical process, we will do the needful,” Faleke warned.

Broader Implications

This standoff comes as the Senate adjourned plenary until January 28, allowing ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) to defend their allocations under the proposed N49.7 trillion 2025 Appropriations Bill. The motion to suspend plenary was moved by Deputy Senate Leader Senator Ashiru Oyelola and approved by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

With agencies like the Nigerian Postal Service (NPS), Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON), and the Bank of Industry (BoI) also under scrutiny, the next 48 hours could determine the future of key sectors in Nigeria. Will the agencies step up, or will the lawmakers make good on their threat to withhold funding?

As the deadline looms, all eyes are on Abuja to see if this clash will lead to reforms or further deepen Nigeria’s fiscal challenges.