2027 Budget: FG gives MDAs September 18 deadline, tightens payroll checks
By Felix Uroko
The Federal Government has given ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) until 4pm on Friday, September 18, 2026, to submit their personnel cost proposals for the 2027 budget.
The deadline is contained in the 2027 Personnel Costs Budget Call Circular, dated September 4 and signed by the Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Tanimu Yakubu.
The government is targeting September 2026 for the presentation of the 2027 budget proposal to the National Assembly.
The Budget Office said the draft 2027–2029 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper was concluded in July to facilitate the early submission of the budget.
“The 2027–2029 draft Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper was concluded by July 2026 … to facilitate the submission of 2027 Budget to the National Assembly by September 2026,” the circular stated.
FG moves to block fake agencies
A major change in the 2027 budget process is the requirement for every MDA to submit its Establishment Act alongside its budget proposal.
The directive follows the controversy surrounding the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), which received about N1.3bn in the 2026 budget despite questions over its legal existence.
The Budget Office said the measure is intended to prevent unestablished agencies from entering the Federal Government's budget.
The ICPC later found that the PFIPC had no legal backing and that its purported director-general, Adeniyi Adeyemi, had not been appointed by the Federal Government.
President Bola Tinubu subsequently ordered investigations and other actions following the revelations.
Tougher payroll controls
The Budget Office has also tightened controls on salaries, recruitment and personnel expenditure.
MDAs must validate their payrolls against the IPPIS and GIFMIS databases, while employees not captured on either system will not receive personnel cost provisions unless formally exempted.
Agencies are also barred from budgeting for anticipated promotions. Only approved promotions already in effect should be reflected in their 2027 proposals.
The government warned that it would not accept claims arising from unauthorised recruitment.
Consultants, contract workers, NYSC members, interns and outsourced personnel are also not to be placed on MDA nominal payrolls.
New monitoring system
The Budget Office said it would deploy a centralised Personnel Cost Monitoring Dashboard linked to IPPIS and GIFMIS to track personnel expenditure against approved budgets.
A Payroll Discrepancy Resolution Committee will also meet monthly to address differences between MDA submissions and government payroll records.
MDAs are required to submit their third-quarter personnel budget performance reports by September 30, 2026.
Ministers, chief executives and accounting officers must certify the accuracy of their budget submissions.
The latest measures are part of the Federal Government's effort to improve budget preparation, strengthen payroll controls and prevent unauthorised agencies and personnel from being captured in the 2027 national budget.
