Muhammad Basheer HotoroAs President Bola Ahmed Tinubu presents the 2026 Appropriation Bill to the National Assembly, concerns are rising over the poor implementation of the 2025 budget.
Checks at the Budget Office of the Federation show no publicly available report on the performance of the 2025 budget. This has raised questions about transparency and compliance with the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA).
The Director-General of the Budget Office, Dr. Tanimu Yakubu, earlier disclosed that the Federal Government is using 2025 revenue to fund the 2024 capital budget. He also admitted that revenue projections for 2025 have underperformed, partly due to low oil production.
The Fiscal Responsibility Act mandates the Minister of Finance to publish quarterly reports on budget implementation. However, such reports for the 2025 budget are yet to be seen.
Economists and experts have called for a review of Nigeria’s budgeting process, saying the practice of running multiple budgets within a fiscal year creates confusion and weakens accountability.
According to the National Assembly, President Tinubu will present the 2026 budget to a joint session of lawmakers today. The proposed budget size is ₦54.4 trillion, based on the 2026–2028 MTEF and Fiscal Strategy Paper.
The Federal Government has directed Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to roll over 70 per cent of their 2025 capital projects into 2026, focusing on priority sectors such as security, economy, education, health, agriculture, infrastructure, power, and social welfare.
MDAs were also warned not to exceed their 2025 overhead cost limits when preparing their 2026 budget proposals, due to revenue constraints, despite rising inflation.
