Nigeria’s Accountant General of the Federation, Shamseldeen Babatunde Ogunjimi, has denied issuing a “six‑month ultimatum” to the World Bank over pending loan disbursements, clarifying his earlier comments as a call for timely processing of no‑objection requests.
In a weekend statement released by the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) spokesperson, Bawa Mokwa, the AGF explained that his remarks were intended to highlight the need for efficient handling of procedural approvals, not to threaten the multilateral lender. The statement emphasized that the financial facilities accessed by Nigeria are loans, not grants, and therefore require prompt action to ensure that funded projects stay on schedule and align with fiscal cycles.
According to the OAGF, the focus of the AGF’s comment was on strengthening collaboration and mutual understanding with the World Bank. He underscored the importance of swift, favourable consideration of no‑objection requests submitted by the OAGF for the deployment of project accountants, assistant project accountants and internal auditors from the Treasury. These personnel are essential for all federal‑government projects financed by the World Bank that have a duration of more than six months before project closure.
The clarification comes amid reports that the World Bank had delayed disbursement of approved loan tranches, prompting concerns about the impact on infrastructure and social programmes. By reiterating that no threat was made, the AGF sought to preserve a cordial relationship with the World Bank and other development partners. The OAGF reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, accountability and effective public‑financial‑management practices in Nigeria.
The agency’s statement concluded that the OAGF remains dedicated to maintaining productive partnerships with the World Bank and other donors, emphasizing that timely processing of approvals is crucial for the successful implementation of development projects across the country.
