Funds approved by President Bola Tinubu to support agencies under the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation have remained unreleased for more than a week, disrupting projects and operational activities across key government media institutions.
The affected agencies include the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Voice of Nigeria (VON), National Orientation Agency (NOA) and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).
The total amount approved by the president about three weeks ago could not be independently confirmed.
However, multiple sources familiar with the development said the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Binyerem Ukaire, has yet to approve the payment files.
According to the sources, the delay followed the refusal of heads of the affected agencies to honour a request by the permanent secretary to appear before her and make presentations on their activities, ongoing projects and planned use of the funds.
Several agency heads, who spoke anonymously for fear of victimisation, confirmed the development.
One official said the delay has stalled projects and disrupted critical operations across the agencies.
Another disclosed that Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, had intervened, but the permanent secretary insisted that the agency heads must first appear before her before the funds could be released.
“We cannot engage her. She can ask us for updates on our activities. But she cannot mandate that we come and give presentations to her, as she is demanding. We are not sure what she really wants. We cannot indulge her by going to see her because we’re not answerable to her. She’s frustrating the sector because ongoing projects cannot continue, and even the intervention of the minister has not helped the matter,” one agency head said.
The official maintained that chief executives of government agencies are accountable to their governing boards and supervising minister, not the ministry’s permanent secretary.
A review of a circular issued by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) outlining the relationship between ministries and parastatals states that government agencies enjoy substantial operational autonomy and that supervising ministries should not assume responsibility for their day-to-day management.
The circular also advises ministries against interfering in the finances of agencies under their supervision or directing how approved funds should be managed outside established regulations.
Although the circular was issued on 2 August 1999, there is no evidence it has been repealed or replaced.
When contacted, Mrs Ukaire confirmed that the approved funds had not yet been released but said the payment process was ongoing.
“The file is undergoing processing,” she said.
The development comes amid recurring complaints by federal ministries, departments and agencies over delays in the release of budgeted funds despite approved appropriations.
The delays have forced many government institutions to suspend capital projects, postpone procurement activities and extend contracts into subsequent budget cycles.
Lawmakers have also repeatedly expressed concerns that delayed cash backing for approved budgets is undermining implementation across ministries and agencies.
Although the Tinubu administration has pledged to improve the speed of budget implementation and fund releases, the latest delay within the information ministry risks further slowing ongoing projects and operational activities across its agencies.
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