Budget Office: N1.3bn Meant for Questionable Council Never Spent

The Budget Office of the Federation has stated that despite allocating approximately N1.3 billion to the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council in the 2026 budget, no money was actually disbursed to the agency. Director-General Tanimu Yakubu made the disclosure while testifying before a House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating the council's legitimacy and funding.

Yakubu explained that budget appropriation—the legal authorization to spend public money—is distinct from actual fund release. The council's budgetary allocation did not proceed to payment because the statutory conditions required to unlock spending were never satisfied.

The Budget Office confirmed that no salaries were paid and no recruitment occurred under the council's name, meaning the appropriated funds remained unspent in government accounts. The council's origins trace to President Muhammadu Buhari's administration, which established the Presidential Economic Advisory Council in October 2019.

The entity later became known as the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, and its legal status has since come under scrutiny. The Presidency has declared the council non-existent, and one of its officers, Adeniyi Adeyemi, was arrested amid allegations of misrepresentation.

The Budget Office's control mechanisms, which include verification of legal prerequisites before authorizing payments, functioned as intended by preventing the council from accessing public funds. An appropriation entry in the budget does not automatically result in expenditure; additional conditions must be met.

The Budget Office statement clarified that the issue was never whether lawmakers approved the funds, but whether the required administrative and legal steps for disbursement were completed.