By IKENNA OSUOHA

The Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi on Wednesday said that inadequate funding and non-release of appropriated funds in the Ministry ‘s annual budgets has adversely affected the justice sector reforms delivery.

Fagbemi stated this at the 2026 Budget Defence of the Federal Ministry of Justice before the House of Representatives Committee on Justice in Abuja.

He said that the Ministry’s mandate and engagements are focused on attaining the goals and initiatives outlined in the National Policy on Justice 2024 and its Strategic Plan 2023-2027.

The Attorney -General said that these objectives and initiatives are in alignment with the current administration’s roadmap for justice sector roadmap for the justice sector of the Renewed Hope Agenda.

The minister however lamented that inadequate budgetary allocation to the ministry coupled with delayed release of funds are adversely impacting on the capacity of the ministry to deliver critical projects and services to the citizenry.

He listed criminal justice and counter-terrorism, exit from Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list and asset recovery and financial management as some of key achievements in the ongoing jusice reforms of the ministry.

Fagbemi said that the Ministry received only N6,675,702.827.32 out of N7, 499.524.027) as overhead cost for ten months representing 82 percent performance.

The Ministry also received a warrant for capital projects in the sum of N869.630.896.30 out of N6,749.616.425), representing only 12% of total capital budget adding that most regrettedly even the 12 percent was not cash-backed.

He added that ministry received no funding for its 2025 capital projects and explained that this situation is not peculiar to the ministry.

On the 2026 Budget proposal of the federal ministry, he said that it earmarked N23,680,142,209.50 broken down into personnel, overhead and capital costs.

Chairman of the House Committee on Justice, Rep.Olumide Osoba said that the House panel will adequately scrutinize the budget proposal of the Ministry and its agencies to ensure that justice sector reforms are not hindered by lack of funds.

Osoba also said that the Committee will ensure effective oversight of any amount of funds approved for the Ministry in its annual budgets. (NAN)

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