The Senate has passed crucial resolutions to improve the regulation, coordination and accountability of foreign aid in Nigeria, sanctioning the development of an obligatory registration system and a national database for all foreign aid received in the country.
Channels TV says that the upper house also agreed that all foreign aid-funded projects should be incorporated into the national budget framework and matched with Nigeria’s development priorities to promote better coordination, transparency and value for money.
The resolutions followed the lead debate on the Bill for an Act to Provide for the Regulation, Coordination, Transparency and Disclosure of Foreign Aid, Grants and Donations in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2026 sponsored by Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe North).
Leading the debate, Senator Dankwambo said Nigeria still remains one of the largest receivers of foreign aid in the form of grants, technical assistance, humanitarian support and concessional financing from bilateral and multilateral development partners.
While appreciating the benefits of donor help in areas such as health, education, agriculture and humanitarian response, he stated that the country’s foreign aid system is fragmented, poorly organised and lacks transparency.
He said many donor-funded projects are implemented across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) outside the national budget framework, some duplicated or misaligned with national development priorities, thus reducing efficiency and eroding public confidence.
The bill contains key provisions that require the registration of all foreign aid in a national database, integration of donor-funded projects into national planning and budgeting, public disclosure of funding agreements, disbursement schedules, project outcomes and audit reports, and sanctions for non-registration, diversion or misuse of funds, false disclosures and implementation of unapproved projects.
Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, in his remarks, said the proposed legislation has become necessary in order to ensure that foreign aid and activities of organisations receiving donor funding are properly scrutinised.
The prolonged insurgency by Boko Haram had raised questions on the flow of external assistance, Senator Akpabio said, adding that the continued existence of the terrorist group indicated that it had sustained sources of support.
“If there was no oxygen, Boko Haram would not be around.
He said that the foreign aid and the work of some non-governmental organisations needed to be properly monitored to promote accountability and transparency.
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