The Federal Government yesterday confirmed the release of N280 billion as part of N350 billion earmarked for the implementation of capital projects captured in the 2016 budget.
The N280 billion released, government said, was for execution of capital projects that had been scrutinised as ongoing.
Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Hajia Zainab Ahmed, confirmed the release yesterday in Abuja.
Ahmed spoke at a oneday workshop organised by a civic technology\organisation, BudgIT Nigeria, for the review and implementation of the budget.
Ministries of Works, Housing and Power; Agriculture; Interior; Education; Information and Environment were enlisted in the first phase of the disbursement.
According to her, names of 60 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) have been forwarded to the finance ministry for approval. Unlike previous dispensations when releases were carried out with little or no screening, she said disbursement of funds would be tied to projects captured in the budget.
She added that another batch of about 30 MDAs whose screening process had been concluded would be sent to the finance ministry today.
“As I said earlier on, the release will be done for specific projects. Our concentration was on projects that are ongoing, except for a few exceptional circumstances; we are not releasing funds for any new projects. We have reviewed their projects, approved them and have sent them to the ministry of finance.
“We have sent to the ministry of finance up to about 50 MDAs or 60, but I can tell you that Works, Housing, Power, Agriculture, Interior, Education, Information and Environment are part of the ministries that we have sent to finance,” said the minister.
She said the blowing up of oil installations by militants in the oil-rich Niger Delta has impacted negatively on government revenue.
Earlier, the Leader of BudgIT, Oluseun Onigbinde, lamented that implementation of capital projects had not gone beyond 30 per cent over the years.
