Dr Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, accountant-general of the federation, has warned that the federal government may reject loan facilities from the World Bank if delays in approval and disbursement persist, saying prolonged timelines could undermine the country’s willingness to proceed with such arrangements.

The warning was contained in a press statement issued on Friday by Bawa Mokwa, director of press and public relations at the office of the accountant-general of the federation.

Ogunjimi, who spoke in Abuja during a courtesy visit by a World Bank delegation led by Mrs Treed Lane, stressed that Nigeria expects timely processing of funding requests, given that the facilities are loans and not grants.

He said, “If approvals take more than six months, the Nigerian Government may no longer honour such arrangements,” highlighting concerns over bureaucratic delays in accessing development financing.

The AGF noted that as a responsible borrower, Nigeria should not be subjected to prolonged approval processes that could affect project execution timelines and broader development objectives.

He therefore urged the World Bank to “expedite the approval and disbursement of project funds to Nigeria” to support the country’s priorities.

Ogunjimi emphasised that the loans carry repayment obligations, making it imperative that disbursement processes align with project schedules and fiscal planning frameworks.

He further disclosed that the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation had begun addressing key issues raised earlier by the World Bank, particularly in public financial management and audit reporting.

According to him, the 2023 Audit Report would be submitted to the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation within two weeks, while work on the 2024 and 2025 audit reports was already underway.

The AGF also assured the delegation that steps were being taken to resolve concerns around the digitalisation of the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System, noting that obsolete infrastructure was being replaced with modern technology to improve efficiency and service delivery.

He said the reforms were part of broader efforts to strengthen transparency, accountability, and the overall public financial management system in Nigeria.

Earlier in her remarks, the World Bank delegation leader,  congratulated Ogunjimi on his recent appointment as African chairman of the Association of Accountants-General.

Lane also urged the Office of the Accountant-General to sustain its digitalisation drive and ensure the timely presentation of financial statements to the Auditor-General, noting that such measures were critical to achieving seamless public financial management processes.

The World Bank earlier explained why about six loans worth $2bn, signed for Nigeria in 2024, are yet to be disbursed nearly a year after the bank’s approval.

This came amid recent reports that the World Bank approved a total of $8.40bn (N12.89tn) in fresh loans to the country over the past two years, based on data from the bank’s official website.

The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) approved a $61 million financing package for the Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) to expand access to affordable credit for women-owned and women-led businesses across Nigeria, particularly in the agricultural sector.

The financing comprises three instruments: a $50 million gender-focused line of credit; an $8 million concessional facility under the Agri-Food SME Catalytic Financing Mechanism (ACFM); and a $3 million grant under the Bank’s Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) initiative, funded by the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi).

This package demonstrates the Bank’s commitment to private sector-led growth by combining long-term financing, concessional resources, partial credit guarantees, and capacity-building support. It will be chanelled through DBN’s network of participating financial institutions to strengthen MSME lending and advance Nigeria’s inclusive economic transformation, particularly through women entrepreneurship and agricultural development.

A defining feature of this operation is its strong gender focus, with more than 95 percent of the total financing earmarked for WSMEs. This targeted approach aligns with the objectives of AFAWA and ACFM and the Bank’s broader commitment to narrowing the gender financing gap in Africa. The performance-based incentives under the AFAWA programme are expected to expand the number of eligible women-owned enterprises while increasing the share of women-focused lending within DBN’s MSME portfolio.

Commenting on the approval, Dr Abdul Kamara, Director General of the African Development Bank Group Nigeria Country Office, said: “Women entrepreneurs are one of Nigeria’s greatest economic assets and one of its most underleveraged. This operation reflects the African Development Bank’s commitment to unlocking economic opportunities for women.

“By working through DBN to reach women-owned businesses in agriculture, clean energy, healthcare, and beyond, we are not just expanding access to credit; the Bank is investing in the engine of Nigeria’s inclusive economic transformation.”

The approval further deepens a longstanding partnership between the African Development Bank and the Development Bank of Nigeria, dating back to the AfDB’s role in DBN’s establishment through start-up equity, long-term financing, and governance support, alongside the Federal Government of Nigeria and other development partners.

The operation aligns with the African Development Bank’s Four Cardinal Points framework, particularly the pillar on harnessing demographic transformation for economic development, as well as the Bank’s Ten-Year Strategy (2024-2033), which prioritises inclusive growth, private sector development, and gender equality.

It also supports Nigeria’s Country Strategy Paper (2025–2030), which emphasizes gender- and youth-inclusive green growth, and complements national priorities on entrepreneurship, inclusive development, and women’s economic empowerment.

The Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) has announced the extension of weekend tax office operations across the country as part of preparations for the rollout of the Rev360 Phase I Tax Administration System.

In a public notice issued in Abuja on May 7, the Service stated that all Emerging, Medium, Large, and Government Business Offices nationwide will now open on Saturdays from May 8 to June 27, 2026.

According to the notice, the offices will operate between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.

The NRS explained that the initiative is aimed at providing additional taxpayer support and improving service delivery during the implementation of the new tax administration platform for Medium and Emerging Taxpayer segments.

The Service noted that the extended Saturday operations are designed to assist taxpayers requiring guidance with the new system, facilitate seamless compliance during the June peak Companies Income Tax filing period, and improve access to tax services outside regular weekday hours.

It encouraged taxpayers to take advantage of the initiative to resolve tax-related matters, seek necessary guidance, and ensure timely compliance with their tax obligations.

“The NRS remains dedicated to delivering efficient, transparent, and taxpayer-focused services,” the statement read.

The notice was signed by Zacch Adedeji, PhD, Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service. “You say Transformation, We say Rev360.”