Nigeria’s House of Representatives has inaugurated an ad hoc committee to investigate debts owed to the Federal Government by state actors, private organisations, and Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as part of efforts to improve revenue generation and reduce fiscal pressure on the country.
The committee, chaired by the lawmaker representing Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency of Osun State, Oluwole Oke, was constituted following the adoption of a motion sponsored by Salisu Yusuf alongside five other lawmakers during plenary on Thursday.
According to the House, the panel has been mandated to identify individuals, organisations and government institutions owing the Federal Government, assess previous recovery efforts and recommend measures for recovering the outstanding funds.
The committee is expected to submit its findings within four weeks.
While presenting the motion, Yusuf expressed concern over Nigeria’s rising debt profile and declining revenue base, warning that the failure to recover public funds was worsening the nation’s economic challenges. He noted that Nigeria’s total public debt had risen significantly as of September 2025, with debt servicing taking a substantial portion of government revenue.
The lawmaker also stated that huge sums belonging to the Federal Government remain tied up in unpaid taxes, unremitted revenues, royalties, judgment debts and other liabilities held by both public and private entities. He argued that successive administrations had focused more on borrowing while paying less attention to recovering existing debts owed to the country.