NIGERIA: BUDGET TRANSPARENCY

UNCLAS ABUJA 000626 SENSITIVE SIPDIS FOR EEB/IFD/OMA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID ECON PREL NI SUBJECT: NIGERIA: BUDGET TRANSPARENCY REF: A. STATE 28885 ¶B. ABUJA 578 ¶1. Following is Embassy Abuja's response to reftel A. ¶2. (U) The Government of Nigeria is expected to receive U. S. foreign assistance using FY 2009 funds, for the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR),International Military Education and Training (IMET),foreign military financing (FMF),and technical assistance and training through USG-funded implementing partners. ¶3. (SBU) The Nigerian federal budget is a public document. The budget is available in print and electronic form soon after approval by the National Assembly and President. The budget can also be found on government websites- www.budgetoffice.gov.ng and www.fmf.gov.ng. ¶4. (SBU) Data on budget execution regarding how and where funds were spent are not readily available due to mismanagement and inadequate accounting. Budget implementation is also difficult to ascertain because revenue estimates are based on figures which are subject to change, such as oil prices and figures for crude oil production. Moreover, the media and contacts report that there is poor budget implementation, especially of the capital budget. ¶5. (SBU) Even though budget transparency is still a work in progress, the situation is better than in past years, i.e., the government has, since 2004, adopted the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF),forecasting revenue and expenditure for a three year period. The National Assembly has also stepped up its monitoring and oversight of the budget process, with budget bills prominent among few pieces of legislation it has passed since the new set of law makers come into power in May 2007. ¶6. (U) This message was coordinated with ConGen Lagos and other USG agencies at post. SANDERS