President Bola Tinubu has requested the National Assembly to approve the extension of the implementation of the 2025 Appropriation Act to March 31, 2026, aiming to end the practice of running multiple budgets simultaneously.
The request, contained in a letter dated December 18, was read on Friday during a special plenary of the House of Representatives by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas. Tinubu explained that this new communication supersedes an earlier letter dated December 16, 2025, and is intended to address persistent overlaps in Nigeria’s budget execution cycle.
According to the President, the proposed adjustments form part of broader fiscal reform measures designed to strengthen planning, execution, and accountability in public spending. He noted that the amendments would allow for the full release of at least 30 per cent of capital allocations to Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), addressing delays that have undermined budget performance.
The bills seek to:
- Repeal the 2024 Appropriation Act of N35.06tn and re-enact it at N43.56tn, covering statutory transfers, debt service, recurrent expenditure, and capital expenditure.
- Repeal the 2025 Appropriation Act of N54.99tn and re-enact it at N48.32tn, extending implementation to March 31, 2026, while ensuring a revised 30 per cent capital release target for MDAs.
The letter highlighted that the adjustments also align with current fiscal realities and execution capacities, aiming to maintain credible and transparent budget performance. Tinubu urged lawmakers to consider and pass the bills promptly in the interest of national development.
Since assuming office in May 2023, the Federal Government has faced challenges with overlapping budget cycles due to delayed budget passage, revenue constraints, and slow release of capital funds. The Presidency has consistently argued that operating multiple budgets concurrently weakens fiscal discipline, distorts project planning, and complicates accountability.
