07/07/2026
EXCLUSIVE: FG Halts Payments for Unverified Constituency Projects, Tightens Oversight on Public Spending
The Federal Government has directed all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to immediately stop processing payments for constituency and zonal intervention projects that do not have a Certificate of Verification and Compliance from the Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs.
The directive, issued through a Treasury Circular signed by the Accountant-General of the Federation, is aimed at strengthening accountability, transparency, and proper monitoring of public funds. Under the new rule, no payment request for affected projects will be approved unless it has first been verified and certified by the designated ministry.
Government officials say the decision follows concerns over non-compliance with existing guidelines, as well as reports of abandoned, duplicated, or poorly executed constituency projects across the country.
The circular also directs Accounting Officers, Directors of Finance, Internal Auditors, and all payment-processing authorities across MDAs to reject any payment requests that do not meet the new verification requirements.
Constituency projects, also known as Zonal Intervention Projects, are federal projects nominated by members of the National Assembly to address development needs in their constituencies. They are funded through the national budget but implemented by various government agencies.
The government says the new measure is intended to ensure that public funds are released only for verified projects that comply with approved guidelines, thereby improving fiscal discipline and reducing waste.
What do you think? Will stricter verification improve transparency and ensure constituency projects are completed, or could it delay much-needed development projects?