Insufficient Funding Undermining Justice Delivery -AGF

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has warned that delayed and insufficient funding is undermining the Federal Government’s efforts to reform the justice sector.

Fagbemi made the remarks while presenting the Federal Ministry of Justice’s 2026 budget proposal before the House of Representatives Committee on Justice in Abuja.

He said the Ministry’s work is guided by the National Policy on Justice 2024 and its 2023–2027 Strategic Plan, which aligns with the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

“Insufficient budget allocations and delays in fund release have severely limited our ability to execute critical projects and deliver essential services,” Fagbemi said.

Despite the challenges, the Minister highlighted progress in criminal justice administration, counter-terrorism efforts, the country’s push to exit the Financial Action Task Force grey list, and achievements in asset recovery and financial management.

He disclosed that the Ministry received N6.68 billion of N7.5 billion appropriated for overhead costs over ten months, representing 82% performance. For capital expenditure, only N870 million of N6.75 billion about 12% was released, and the funds were not cash-backed, stalling project implementation.

Fagbemi noted that no funding was received for 2025 capital projects, while the Ministry’s 2026 budget proposal seeks N23.68 billion for personnel, overhead, and capital expenditures.

House Committee on Justice Chairman, Olumide Osoba pledged that lawmakers would scrutinize the Ministry’s budget to ensure reforms are not hampered by inadequate funding and promised strong oversight over the use of approved funds.

Oduyemi Odumade, Edited By Grace Namiji