BudgIT, a civic-tech organisation advocating for transparency in public finance, and OrderPaper, Nigeria’s parliamentary monitoring organisation, have raised alarm over the erosion of institutional independence, warning that weak separation of powers is exacerbating the country’s governance failures and economic instability.
In a joint statement made available to THE WHISTLER, the organisations expressed concern over executive overreach, legislative inefficiency, and judicial inertia, which they said are undermining Nigeria’s democratic governance.
They highlighted that the National Assembly has struggled to assert its independence from the executive, limiting its ability to perform effective oversight and ensure accountability.
Similarly, unchecked executive dominance has stifled legislative scrutiny, weakened governance mechanisms, and fuelled budgetary mismanagement.
“The consequences of a weakened separation of powers extend beyond political manoeuvring to real-life governance failures,” said BudgIT’s Head of Open Government and Institutional Partnership, Vahyala Kwaga.
He pointed out that over the past decade, more than 11 million Nigerians have been internally displaced due to disasters and violence, emphasising the human cost of weak institutions.
The organisations also decried the National Assembly’s failure to check executive excesses, citing the recent budget insertions amounting to N2.24trn in the 2024 budget as an example of financial indiscipline.
Meanwhile, the judiciary’s inability to enforce rulings due to executive defiance and allegations of judicial compromise has further eroded public trust in the legal system.
OrderPaper’s Programme Manager, Uko Etuk stressed the need for parliamentary accountability.
“The National Assembly must reclaim its constitutional mandate as a check on executive and judicial excesses. Weak oversight has contributed to governance failures, mismanagement of constituency projects, and diminished public confidence in democratic institutions,” he said.
As part of their advocacy for stronger institutional checks and balances, BudgIT and OrderPaper announced the launch of a campaign calling for full financial autonomy for the judiciary and local governments, stronger legislative accountability, and stricter enforcement of constitutional oversight mechanisms.
