Former Minister of Education and Solid Minerals, Obiageli Ezekwesili, and civic-tech organisation BudgIT have called on the Federal Government to strengthen transparency and accountability in public finance.
Ezekwesili urged President Bola Tinubu to suspend and review the controversial £746 million deal with UK Export Finance (UKEF) for the rehabilitation of Apapa and Tin Can Island ports in Lagos.
She alleged that the transaction lacked transparency and a competitive procurement process, and called on the government to suspend further drawdowns while returning to the National Assembly with a more transparent concession framework.
Ezekwesili also urged civil society organisations to use the Freedom of Information Act to obtain details of the agreement from relevant Nigerian agencies, including the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Nigerian Ports Authority and the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation.
She expressed concern over Nigeria’s rising debt burden and the foreign-exchange risks associated with borrowing in pounds sterling while government revenues are largely denominated in naira.
Meanwhile, BudgIT urged the Federal Government to address weaknesses identified in the 2026 US Fiscal Transparency Report, which found that Nigeria had failed to meet minimum fiscal transparency requirements for the second consecutive year.
The organisation called for better disclosure of government revenues and expenditure, stronger independence for the Auditor-General’s office and improved transparency in public procurement.
BudgIT said citizens should have access to information showing what government planned to collect and spend, what was actually collected and spent, and how public contracts were awarded and implemented.
Murray-Bruce calls for more ‘mad men’ in Tinubu’s government
Former Bayelsa East Senator Ben Murray-Bruce also urged President Tinubu to appoint more bold and results-driven individuals to his administration.
Murray-Bruce said Nigeria needs officials who are willing to challenge entrenched interests, confront broken systems and prioritise results over political comfort.
He cited Central Bank Governor Olayemi Cardoso and National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu as examples of officials he believes have demonstrated such qualities.
He particularly called for stronger action in the petroleum sector, urging the government to prioritise the rehabilitation and commercial operation of the Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna refineries.
However, Chairman of Nigerians for Good Governance, Dele Olaseni, disagreed with Murray-Bruce’s assessment, arguing that the Tinubu administration has already recorded progress in the petroleum sector.
Olaseni cited increased crude oil production, renewed investor interest and the return of Final Investment Decisions (FIDs) as evidence of improvements in the industry.
He said crude oil production had risen from about 900,000 barrels per day to approximately 1.87 million barrels per day, while noting that FIDs on major projects could take several years to translate into actual production.
