The Renewed Hope Labourers Network (RHOLAN), a pro-government group, has rejected the US State Department's 2026 Fiscal Transparency Report on Nigeria, asserting that the assessment failed to give due weight to publicly available reform evidence and digital financial systems already in operation. In a statement signed by its Director General, John Ali Ude, Esq, and issued on Friday, the group argued that the report's conclusion of "no significant progress" in Nigeria's fiscal management for 2025 does not reflect the full scope of institutional measures introduced.
US Report Findings and RHOLAN's Response
The US report, released on Tuesday, August 11, determined that Nigeria failed to meet minimum fiscal transparency requirements for the second consecutive year. RHOLAN, however, contended that the report overlooked concrete reforms and publicly accessible financial data. Ude stated: "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 highlighted 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 cited digital finance tools such as the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System, and the Open Treasury Portal as evidence of functioning transparency mechanisms.
Reforms Acknowledged but Underweighted
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. These elements, RHOLAN argued, should have been weighed more heavily in the assessment.
Gaps Acknowledged, but Context Demanded
While RHOLAN conceded that weaknesses in procurement disclosure, audit effectiveness, and timely release of some fiscal documents remain real concerns, it insisted these should be assessed alongside recorded progress rather than in isolation. The group referenced the World Bank, which has 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 remain 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 concluded.
