Using Constituents to Boost Budget Oversight in Nigeria

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume IV, Issue I, January 2020 | ISSN 2454–6186

Using Constituents to Boost Budget Oversight in Nigeria

Augustine C. OSIGWE, Rifkatu NGHARGBU
 Research Fellows, Research and Training Department, National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), National Assembly, Abuja, Nigeria

Executive Summary: – This paper examines how Nigeria’s budget oversight mechanism may be made more effective through the involvement of the constituents (the people) in the process to support the legislators. It underscores the importance of the budget in ensuring good governance, accountability and sound economic management in Nigeria. It notes Nigeria’s poor rating of 17 out of 100 in the 2017 global Open Budget Index, indicating low budget transparency and openness. Contrarily, countries such as Ghana, Brazil and South Africa scored 50, 77 and 89, respectively. Further, the paper noted that lack of synergy among the critical stake holders involved in the budget management portends, among other factors, several implications including: i) it encumbers the budget planning process; ii)creates unnecessary friction in budget defence, iii) creates opportunities for “budget padding”, iv) delays timely completion of the budget process, and v) induces budget apathy in the citizenry. Viewed against this backdrop, the worrisome state of the Nigerian budget situation cannot be over stressed. Following a critical review of selected inter-country experiences, the paper proffers the following suggestions to address the issues:

• Legislators should help to formalize the pre-budget meeting that will involve the civil society, minister of finance and financial experts to discuss the contents of the budget and express what the people expect from the budget.
• The legislators should draw lessons from the US and Brazil to engage their constituents through their leaders at the Ward level with a view to engaging them on matters that relate to budget preparation and constituency projects.
• NASS should domesticate ideas from US and Brazil into law just as in the case South Korea where there is a law empowering the citizens to participate in the budgetary decision-making process through public hearing, meetings and internet survey.
• For effective constituents and legislature engagement, legislators should set up a website for effective citizens’ engagement in budget preparation down to budget oversight.
• The National Assembly committee on education should emulate South Africa to encourage the relevant departments in the Nigerian Universities to assist in enhancing citizens’ participation in the budget process.Key Words: Constituents; Budget oversight; Nigeria.

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