Accountant-General Blames Salary Delays on Shortfalls

The Accountant-General of the Federation, Bawa Mokwa, issued a statement on Monday addressing the delays in salary payments for February 2026, which he attributed to shortfalls in personnel cost allocations. This issue has impacted the Federal Ministry of Steel Development and several federal agencies, including the Nigerian Export Promotion Council and the National Rural Electrification Agency.

The statement clarified that the delays were due to a funding gap in the salary budget for the month. The Office of the Accountant-General advised that the Federal Ministry of Finance is engaged in cash management to resolve the shortfalls.

Additionally, civil servants whose salaries are domiciled in Standard Chartered Bank faced difficulties accessing their funds due to the bank's policy requiring a minimum balance of seven million naira. Despite the payment of salaries, access issues remain a concern for affected workers.

The proposed budget for personnel costs in 2026 is projected at 8.36 trillion naira, with additional allocations for pensions and gratuities.