Pro-Tinubu Group Faults US Fiscal Transparency Report on Nigeria, Cites Verifiable Reforms
- The Renewed Hope Labourers Network challenged the US State Department's 2026 Fiscal Transparency Report on Nigeria
- RHOLAN said the report gave insufficient weight to publicly available reform evidence and digital financial systems already in use
- The group acknowledged gaps in Nigeria's fiscal system but urged international assessors to rely on independently verifiable data
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A pro-government group has pushed back against the United States government's latest assessment of Nigeria's fiscal management, arguing that the report overlooked concrete reforms and publicly available financial data when drawing its conclusions.
The Renewed Hope Labourers Network (RHOLAN), in a statement signed by its Director General, John Ali Ude, Esq, and issued on Friday, said the US Department of State's 2026 Fiscal Transparency Report should not be treated as a complete picture of Nigeria's financial governance.
Source: Twitter
The US report, released on Tuesday, August 11, found that Nigeria failed to meet the minimum requirements for fiscal transparency for the second consecutive year and recorded no significant progress in improving its financial management in 2025.
RHOLAN's Case Against the Report
RHOLAN, in a statement made available to Legit.ng, said the report gave too little credit to reforms and disclosures that Nigerian institutions have already made publicly accessible.
Ude argued that "the conclusion that Nigeria made no significant progress does not adequately reflect the reforms, disclosures and institutional measures that have been introduced to strengthen public financial management."
The group pointed to the Budget Office of the Federation, which publishes appropriation documents and budget implementation reports, including a second-quarter 2025 report released in December.
It also highlighted digital finance tools such as the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System, and the Open Treasury Portal.
RHOLAN noted that the US assessment itself acknowledged some improvements, including Nigeria's online publication of its enacted budget, end-of-year report, and information on debt obligations and major state-owned enterprise debt.
"The fact that the report acknowledges the publication of the enacted budget, end of year report and debt information demonstrates that there are functioning transparency mechanisms within the system," Ude said.
The group also pointed to Nigeria's participation in the Open Government Partnership, which includes commitments on open budgeting, procurement transparency, and citizens' engagement in the budget cycle.
Gaps Acknowledged, but Context Demanded
RHOLAN stopped short of claiming Nigeria's fiscal system was without fault. Ude said weaknesses around procurement disclosure, audit effectiveness, and the timely release of some fiscal documents remained real concerns, but insisted they should be assessed alongside recorded progress rather than in isolation.
The World Bank, the group noted, has similarly documented improvements in areas such as biometric verification of public workers, procurement reforms, and debt reporting, while cautioning that sustaining those gains and converting transparency into accountability remained ongoing challenges.
RHOLAN called on the federal government to continue improving budget reporting, procurement disclosure, and audit institutions. It also urged international bodies assessing Nigeria's fiscal management to adopt transparent methodologies grounded in independently verifiable evidence.
"Fiscal transparency is too important to be reduced to a single verdict. What Nigerians need is continuous improvement, measurable accountability and access to reliable information on how public resources are raised and spent," Ude said.
US embassy explains how long Nigerians can stay in America
In a previous report, the United States Mission in Nigeria has reminded travellers that holding a valid U.S. visa does not automatically determine how long they can remain in the country.
The embassy urged international visitors to verify their authorised period of stay through their electronic arrival record after entering the United States
Source: Legit.ng
