Tinubu seeks National Assembly approval to extend 2025 budget to March 2026

President Bola Tinubu has requested the National Assembly’s approval to extend the implementation of the 2025 Appropriation Act until March 31, 2026, as part of efforts to end the practice of running overlapping budgets. The request, contained in a letter dated December 18, was read during a special House of Representatives plenary by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas.

The president explained that the new request replaces an earlier communication sent on December 16, 2025, and aims to address persistent overlaps in Nigeria’s budget execution cycle. He described the move as part of broader fiscal reforms intended to strengthen planning, execution, and accountability in public spending.

Tinubu noted that the proposed amendments would allow for the full release of at least 30% of capital allocations to ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs), as delays in disbursement have continued to undermine budget performance.

Under the plan, the 2024 Appropriation Act would be repealed and re-enacted with a revised total of N43.56 trillion, while the 2025 budget would be adjusted to N48.32 trillion and extended to cover the period ending March 31, 2026. The letter to the National Assembly outlined the breakdown of allocations for statutory transfers, debt service, recurrent expenditure, and capital expenditure for both years, reflecting updated fiscal realities and a revised 30% capital implementation target.

The president urged lawmakers to consider and pass the bills quickly in the interest of national development. Since assuming office in May 2023, Tinubu’s administration has faced challenges with overlapping budget cycles caused by delayed budget passage, revenue constraints, and slow capital fund releases. The presidency has consistently warned that running multiple budgets simultaneously undermines fiscal discipline, complicates project planning, and weakens accountability.

#UTVAfrica#