FG Cites Budget Shortfalls, Bank Policy For Salary Delay

The Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) has explained the delay in the payment of February 2026 salaries to staff of the Federal Ministry of Steel Development and four other federal agencies, attributing the delay to shortfalls in their personnel cost allocations.

The clarification was issued on Monday in Abuja following concerns raised by affected civil servants over the non-payment of their February wages.

According to the OAGF, the delay occurred after gaps were identified in the personnel cost provisions of the affected ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs).

The office stated that the issue had been communicated to the concerned organisations to enable them to take steps to resolve it.

The agencies affected by the delay include the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, National Rural Electrification Agency, Kamuku National Park, and the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria.

The Accountant-General’s office said the affected MDAs had been directed to liaise with the Cash Management Office of the Federal Ministry of Finance to address the shortfalls and ensure the payment of outstanding salaries.

The OAGF emphasised that the delay was limited to the affected organisations, noting that salaries for other federal workers had already been paid.

It also addressed complaints from some civil servants whose salary accounts are domiciled with Standard Chartered Bank. According to the office, the affected workers were unable to access their salaries due to the bank’s policy requiring a minimum opening balance of N7m, although the payments had already been made to the bank.

The OAGF assured affected workers that efforts are ongoing to resolve the issues and ensure that all outstanding salaries are paid promptly.