***Nigeria’s Push for NABRO Signals New Era of Budget Accountability
Determined to end the hemorrhage of public funds that drains $587 billion from Africa each year, lawmakers from 16 African countries converged on Abuja Monday with a common resolve: clamp down on corruption, illicit financial flows, and weak fiscal oversight.
The 8th Conference of the African Network of Parliamentary Budget Offices (AN-PBO), hosted at the Abuja Continental Hotel, became a rallying point for bold reforms. Delegations from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, and other nations pledged to strengthen budget scrutiny and close the loopholes that fuel capital flight.
House of Representatives Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, in a forceful keynote, framed the moment as a turning point for Africa’s development.
“Every year, billions that should be building hospitals in Nairobi, equipping schools in Accra, or paving roads in Lagos vanish into illicit flows and profit shifting. Corruption alone bleeds Africa of $148 billion annually. This is unsustainable,” Abbas declared.
He underscored Nigeria’s own vulnerabilities, citing $18 billion lost annually in procurement fraud—3.8% of the nation’s GDP. To combat such losses, Abbas unveiled the legislature’s firm backing for the National Assembly Budget and Research Office (NABRO)—an independent, non-partisan body modeled after the U.S. Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
“NABRO will give lawmakers the tools to interrogate budgets, demand accountability, and ensure public money works for the people,” he said. “With robust oversight and reliable data, we can prevent waste and restore public trust.”
Clerk to the National Assembly Barr. Kamoru Ogunlana called the gathering more than a technical meeting:
“This conference is a springboard for innovation—a moment to reimagine fiscal governance and renew our collective commitment to responsible budgeting,” he told delegates.
Workshops and strategy sessions throughout the four-day summit will focus on empowering Parliamentary Budget Offices (PBOs) to deliver evidence-based fiscal analysis, enabling legislatures to stand as true watchdogs over public spending.
Participating nations—spanning West, East, and Southern Africa—hailed the Abuja meeting as a milestone in Africa’s struggle against financial leakages that stunt growth and deepen poverty.
As the conference progresses, delegates say the Abuja resolutions could redefine how African parliaments safeguard their nations’ wealth—and signal a continental shift toward fiscal discipline and accountable governance.