The Federal Government has introduced stricter verification requirements for newly recruited workers seeking admission into its payroll, as personnel costs rose by N133.94 billion to N1.96 trillion in the first quarter of 2026, exceeding capital expenditure during the period.
An analysis by The PUNCH, of the Federal Government’s First Quarter Budget Implementation Reports for 2025 and 2026 showed that personnel expenditure increased by 7.35 per cent from N1.82 trillion in the corresponding period of 2025, reflecting growing pressure on public finances.
The new measures were announced on Monday by the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) in a statement by its Director of Press and Public Relations, Bawa Mokwa.
The OAGF said the directive, which takes immediate effect, applies to all ongoing and subsequent payroll admission processes under the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System.
The statement read, ‘Henceforth, no newly recruited employee shall be enrolled without first being captured on the nominal roll of the relevant MDA and satisfying all prescribed validation and eligibility requirements’.
According to the 2026 First Quarter Budget Implementation Report, the Federal Government spent N1.96 trillion on personnel costs between January and March, compared with N1.69 trillion on capital expenditure.
This means salaries and related personnel obligations exceeded capital spending by approximately N267 billion, or 15.77 per cent.
Personnel expenditure accounted for 20.05 per cent of the Federal Government’s total expenditure of N9.76 trillion, while capital expenditure represented 17.32 per cent.
A breakdown showed that personnel costs for Ministries, Departments and Agencies increased from N1.57 trillion in the first quarter of 2025 to N1.70 trillion in the corresponding period of 2026, representing an increase of N133.94 billion, or 8.54 per cent.
Personnel expenditure by Government-Owned Enterprises remained unchanged at N254.35 billion, indicating that the entire increase in the reported wage bill came from MDAs.
The figures further showed that the Federal Government spent an average of N652.37 billion monthly on personnel costs during the review period, compared with N607.73 billion in the corresponding period of 2025.
Despite the increase, actual personnel spending remained below the quarterly budget projection.
The Budget Office disclosed that N8.35 trillion was allocated to MDAs’ personnel costs in the 2026 budget, compared with N7.60 trillion in 2025, representing an increase of approximately N758.51 billion, or 9.99 per cent.
The report stated, ‘The sum of N8.35 trillion was appropriated for MDAs’ Personnel Cost in the 2026 Budget. This translates to a prorated quarterly expenditure outlay of N2.09 trillion in 2026. Actual expenditure of N1.70 trillion was released in the first quarter of 2026, translating to N385.78 billion (18.47 per cent) below the quarterly projection for the year’.
While personnel expenditure continued to rise, implementation of the Federal Government’s capital budget remained significantly below expectations.
The report showed that total capital expenditure of N1.69 trillion fell short of the prorated quarterly projection of N8.07 trillion by N6.38 trillion, representing a shortfall of 79.06 per cent.
More significantly, no funds were released for the implementation of MDAs’ 2026 capital budget during the quarter, despite a prorated allocation of N3.92 trillion.
Explaining the development, the Budget Office stated, ‘Funds for MDAs’ capital expenditure were not released in the first quarter of 2026 because some MDAs were still utilising funds released under the 2025 capital budget, whose implementation period had been extended to 31 December 2026’.
Consequently, implementation of the 2026 MDAs’ capital budget stood at zero as of 31 March, although expenditure was recorded under other capital components, including GOEs, the Tertiary Education Trust Fund and externally financed projects.
GOEs accounted for N740.32 billion in capital expenditure, while TETFund spending stood at N393.56 billion. Multilateral and bilateral project-tied loans contributed N287.44 billion, while grants and donor-funded projects accounted for N249.50 billion.
The pressure was further reflected in non-debt recurrent expenditure, which increased from N2.24 trillion in the first quarter of 2025 to N2.77 trillion in the corresponding period of 2026, representing an increase of approximately N523.49 billion.
Personnel costs accounted for 70.73 per cent of non-debt recurrent spending during the period.
Expenditure on pensions and gratuities, including service-wide pensions, also increased from N161.60 billion to N330.72 billion, representing a rise of N169.12 billion, or 104.65 per cent.
When pensions and gratuities are combined with personnel costs, the Federal Government’s expenditure on these obligations reached N2.29 trillion, compared with N1.98 trillion in the corresponding period of 2025.
Pensions and gratuities are classified separately from personnel costs in the budget implementation reports.
The rising obligations coincided with weak revenue performance.
According to the Budget Office, the Federal Government generated approximately N5.08 trillion in the first quarter of 2026, against a quarterly target of N9.22 trillion, representing a shortfall of 44.93 per cent.
Personnel costs alone were equivalent to 38.56 per cent of actual revenue, compared with approximately 36.80 per cent in the corresponding period of 2025.
This means that for every N100 received by the Federal Government during the quarter, an amount equivalent to nearly N39 was spent on personnel costs.
Debt-service payments further constrained government finances, reaching N4.63 trillion, equivalent to approximately 91.18 per cent of actual revenue.
Combined personnel costs and debt-service obligations amounted to N6.58 trillion, exceeding government revenue by approximately N1.51 trillion.
The Federal Government recorded a fiscal deficit of N4.69 trillion during the period.
The Budget Office acknowledged the need to contain recurrent spending, noting that restrictions on unapproved recruitment remained part of the government’s expenditure management measures.
It stated, ‘The FGN continued to pursue its goal of curbing the growth of recurrent expenditure as stated in the 2026-2028 MTEF/FSP’.
The report added, ‘Key initiatives aimed at reducing recurrent costs were therefore pursued vigorously during the period. This includes the embargo on unapproved recruitment by MDAs’.
It explained that recruitment and payroll enrolment requests must first obtain clearance from the Budget Office, while efforts to extend IPPIS coverage across federal establishments were continuing.
Under the latest arrangement, MDAs will assume greater responsibility for managing personnel budgets and maintaining accurate nominal rolls.
The OAGF explained that agencies seeking to enrol newly recruited employees must submit formal requests accompanied by recruitment approvals, appointment letters, applicable waivers and other supporting documents.
These records will undergo verification alongside salary structures, grade levels, salary steps, allowances and other financial entitlements to establish the legitimacy of appointments and the accuracy of payroll obligations.
The statement added, ‘The validation process will also cover statutory details, including Pension Fund Administrator information, pension identification numbers, National Housing Fund registration and tax records to ensure accurate deductions and timely remittances’.
Following the initial verification, employee records will be forwarded to the relevant MDA for confirmation and endorsement by the Accounting Officer, Director of Human Resources, Director of Finance and Accounts, and designated Payroll Validating Officer.
The records will then be returned to the OAGF for final processing.
The office stated, ‘Final admission into the Federal Government payroll will be subject to satisfactory completion of all validation procedures and the approval of the Accountant-General of the Federation’.
Permanent Secretaries, Heads of Agencies and other relevant officials have been directed to ensure strict compliance with the requirements.
The OAGF warned that incomplete documentation or unresolved discrepancies would result in the deferment of payroll admission until the necessary conditions were satisfied.
It added that officers responsible for processing and approving payroll admissions would be held accountable for breaches of applicable rules and regulations.
The Federal Government’s wage bill is expected to rise further as it approved a monthly allowance of N70,000 for public servants beginning in November, following a conciliation meeting with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the country’s biggest workers association, in Abuja.
The agreement provides for the payment across all levels for six months, although it did not specify the number of beneficiaries or the total amount budgeted for the intervention.
The PUNCH estimated that the Federal Government’s six-month transport allowance for its workers could cost about N465.7 billion if all 1.1 million employee records on its payroll system qualify for the payment.
The economists, however, called for sustainable measures to reduce commuting costs and ease pressure on household budgets.
The Trade Union Congress (TUC) of Nigeria, however, rejected the N70,000 wage award to cushion transportation expenses.
Instead, the TUC demanded an immediate salary increase for workers and the implementation of outstanding agreements with health workers under the Joint Health Sector Unions.
Experts demand fiscal discipline
Reacting to the development, a Nigerian economist, public affairs analyst and Chief Executive Officer of CSA Advisory, Dr Aliyu Ilias, expressed concern that personnel expenditure had exceeded capital spending, warning that the trend could undermine investment in critical infrastructure.
Speaking in an interview with The PUNCH, Ilias said the government needed to prioritise capital projects because of their importance to education, healthcare, transportation and other essential services.
He said, ‘It is an anomaly to have personnel costs higher than capital expenditure because social infrastructure is very critical. It benefits education, healthcare, road infrastructure, among others’.
The economist argued that the government’s expenditure pattern was particularly troubling because salaries and debt-service obligations were consuming resources needed for development.
He acknowledged that both obligations were difficult to avoid, especially given the declining purchasing power of workers, but maintained that the situation raised serious concerns about fiscal priorities.
‘Remember that debt servicing is an obligation that you must meet, and salary payment is something you cannot delay. Even if you look at purchasing power, it is very poor. Disposable income is not enough for people to manage’, he said.
Ilias also criticised the repeated extension of budget implementation periods, arguing that the practice had weakened clarity and accountability in public expenditure.
He called on the National Assembly to strengthen its oversight of budget implementation and demand explanations for the government’s spending priorities.
‘When we don’t have clear budgets, these are the things that we are likely to see’, he said.
He added that improved revenue collection and potential gains from higher crude oil prices should provide opportunities for increased infrastructure investment.
According to him, the National Assembly has a responsibility to scrutinise the government’s expenditure decisions and provide Nigerians with information on how public resources are being utilised.
Also speaking, an investment banking and financial policy expert and Chief Executive Officer of CFG Advisory, Dr Tilewa Adebajo, warned that Nigeria’s fiscal position was becoming increasingly difficult to sustain, with recurrent obligations and debt servicing limiting the resources available for productive investment.
Adebajo said the figures reflected the severe fiscal pressure facing the government and raised questions about the sustainability of its economic reform programme.
‘What you are telling me now is not a surprise. These numbers are not a surprise to us because it is clear from the way government has been spending that government is under severe fiscal pressure’, he said.
He warned that macroeconomic reforms alone would not deliver meaningful improvements in living standards without stronger economic growth, fiscal discipline and investment in productive sectors.
‘Reforms by themselves are definitely not enough’, he said.
The financial expert stressed that capital expenditure was essential to expanding the economy, warning that persistent underfunding of development projects could undermine the benefits of macroeconomic stabilisation.
‘If you do not fund your capital budget, that is the investment needed to grow the economy. The economy will not grow’, Adebajo said.
He argued that the government needed to shift its attention towards policies capable of stimulating productivity, attracting private investment, expanding exports and improving household welfare.
‘The next phase must be fiscal discipline, productivity, private sector investment and export diversification, and improvements in household welfare’, he stated.
Adebajo maintained that the country needed a credible strategy to achieve economic growth of between eight and 10 per cent, noting that stabilising macroeconomic indicators was only the foundation for improving living standards.
‘Macroeconomic stability is the foundation for economic prosperity. It is not the destination’, he said.
He further expressed concern about the government’s borrowing plans and the transparency of public expenditure, calling for stronger scrutiny of compliance with fiscal regulations.
