President Bola Tinubu has formally asked the National Assembly to approve an extension of the implementation period of the 2025 Appropriation Act to March 31, 2026, in a bid to end Nigeria’s long-standing practice of running overlapping federal budgets.
The request was conveyed in a letter dated December 18 and read on Friday during a special plenary session of the House of Representatives by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas. The President explained that the new communication supersedes an earlier letter dated December 16, 2025, and is intended to address persistent disruptions in the country’s budget execution cycle.
According to Tinubu, the proposed adjustment is part of broader fiscal reforms designed to improve planning, strengthen execution, and enhance accountability in public spending. He said extending the lifespan of the 2025 budget would allow for the full release of at least 30 percent of capital allocations to Ministries, Departments and Agencies, noting that delays in fund releases have continued to weaken budget performance and stall key projects.
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The President disclosed that the repeal and re-enactment of the 2024 Appropriation Act would revise its size to N43.56 trillion, while the 2025 budget would be adjusted to N48.32 trillion and extended to cover the period ending March 31, 2026.
In the letter, Tinubu informed lawmakers that the proposed Appropriation Repeal and Re-Enactment Bills for 2024 and 2025 were submitted in line with constitutional and legislative procedures. He explained that the re-enacted 2024 budget would authorise total spending of N43.56 trillion, covering statutory transfers, debt service, recurrent expenditure, and capital expenditure for the year ending December 31, 2025.
He added that the 2025 Appropriation Act would also be repealed and re-enacted to reflect a revised total expenditure of N48.32 trillion. This would include allocations for statutory transfers, debt service, recurrent non-debt expenditure, and capital expenditure, with implementation extended to March 31, 2026.
Tinubu said the revisions were necessary to capture budget items not previously recognised and to align capital implementation with a realistic target of 30 percent. He stressed that the adjustment reflects current fiscal realities and execution capacity, while preserving transparency and credibility in budget performance.
The President urged members of the National Assembly to consider and pass the bills without delay, describing them as critical to national development and effective fiscal management.
Since assuming office in May 2023, the Tinubu administration has grappled with overlapping budget cycles, driven by delays in budget passage, revenue shortfalls, and slow release of capital funds. The Presidency has consistently maintained that running multiple budgets simultaneously weakens fiscal discipline, disrupts project planning, and complicates accountability across government institutions.
