FRC To Political Parties: Embrace Fiscal Discipline, Costed Manifestos Ahead Of 2027"

FRC To Political Parties: Embrace Fiscal  Discipline, Costed Manifestos Ahead Of 2027

By Emmanuel Iyoho 

Fatima Binta Abubakar, Head of Secretariat, representing the Acting Chairman, Fiscal Responsibility Commission, FRC, Charles Chukwuemeka Abana, delivered the commission’s remarks at the Forum on Political and Governance Agenda for the Economy held at Sandralia Hotel, Abuja recently.

ABUJA - The Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC) has charged political parties and government institutions to prioritize fiscal discipline, transparency and evidence-based policies as Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections

The forum was organized by the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) in collaboration with the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), Abuja.

Speaking on behalf of the Commission, Mrs. Abubakar said the FRC aligns with the forum because it speaks directly to its statutory mandate of promoting prudent management of public resources, fiscal discipline, transparency, accountability and sustainable public financial management under the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007.

“Nigeria’s aspiration for inclusive growth, macroeconomic stability, increased investor confidence and sustainable development depends fundamentally on the quality of governance, sound economic management and the consistent implementation of credible fiscal policies,” she stated.

She noted that effective governance goes beyond political leadership to include transparency in public finance, accountability in resource allocation, evidence-based policy formulation, adherence to the rule of law, and responsible stewardship of public resources.

“These principles are indispensable for achieving fiscal sustainability, improving service delivery, attracting investment, reducing poverty and fostering equitable economic growth,” she added.

With another election season approaching, the FRC emphasized that Nigeria needs strong institutions capable of enforcing fiscal discipline and ensuring that public resources are utilized efficiently, effectively and economically.

The Commission highlighted its ongoing work monitoring compliance with fiscal responsibility principles across MDAs, promoting transparency in budget implementation, tracking government borrowing, and reviewing the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP).

The FRC expressed optimism that the forum’s deliberations would produce practical recommendations to strengthen governance systems, enhance fiscal responsibility and deepen public sector accountability for a more prosperous and economically resilient Nigeria.

On behalf of the Acting Chairman, Management and staff, the FRC congratulated CSJ and FES and reaffirmed its commitment to collaborate with government, civil society and development partners to advance accountability and sustainable development.

In his opening address, Lead Director, CSJ, Eze Onyekpere, said Nigeria’s democracy will remain weak until economic governance is placed at the center of party manifestos and campaign debates.

“For too long, political discourse in Nigeria has focused on personalities and ethnicity while ignoring the economy. This forum seeks to mainstream economic development, public finance management, and accountability into governance and political conversations ahead of 2027,”_ he said.

Onyekpere urged political parties to present credible, costed policy alternatives and commit to fiscal rules that promote inclusive growth, job creation and poverty reduction.

He cited the 2022 report by the National Bureau of Statistics showing that over 133 million Nigerians are multidimensionally poor as proof that campaigns must be policy-driven.

Participants, including representatives of the APC, other political parties, CSOs, NLC, and MDAs, agreed that the 2027 elections offer an opportunity to reset Nigeria’s economic trajectory through evidence-based policies.

They called on INEC, the media, and civil society to monitor campaign promises and hold political actors accountable to economic commitments.