By Gloria Ikibah
Members of the National Assembly have voiced strong concern over the failure to release capital funds earmarked for the Federal Ministry of Interior, warning that the situation is crippling project delivery and weakening institutional capacity.
At a budget defence session in Abuja on Tuesday, the joint committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on Interior expressed frustration that allocations approved for the ministry’s 2024 and 2025 capital budgets have yet to be disbursed. 
The matter was raised during deliberations led by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Interior, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, alongside colleagues from both chambers.
Briefing lawmakers, the Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, revealed that the ministry had recorded no capital releases for two successive financial years. Despite receiving legislative approval for its capital expenditure in both 2024 and 2025, not a single tranche of the allocated funds has been made available.
The minister explained that the absence of funding has brought capital project performance to a complete standstill, with implementation effectively halted. Several strategic initiatives and infrastructure developments planned across agencies under the ministry have been left in limbo as a result.
He indicated that the ministry’s inability to execute approved projects stems entirely from the non-release of funds, rather than administrative lapses or planning shortcomings.
In spite of the financial constraints, the ministry has maintained what it describes as strict fiscal discipline. It has continued to remit all internally generated revenue into the Federation’s Consolidated Revenue Fund in line with statutory requirements, even as capital spending remains frozen.
Members of the joint committee expressed frustration over what they described as a recurring delay in the release of budgeted funds to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), warning that such bottlenecks undermine the effectiveness of government institutions.
The lawmakers stressed that the National Assembly performs its constitutional duty by approving budgets and expects the executive arm to ensure timely releases for implementation.
They, however, advised officials of the ministry to prioritise projects in line with available approvals and strategic importance, to prevent cases of abandoned projects across various parts of the country.
Agencies that appeared for the budget defence are the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and Federal Fire Service.
The development has further heightened concerns over budget implementation gaps within the federal system and the implications for service delivery in critical security and internal administration institutions.
