The Nigerian National Assembly is gearing up to start the defence of the 2025 Budget, following President Bola Tinubu’s presentation of the ₦49.7 trillion proposal on December 18, 2024.
The President’s speech, delivered to a joint session of the National Assembly, highlighted the key priorities for the coming year, with significant allocations for security, infrastructure, health, and education.
Tinubu referred to the 2025 Budget as “The Restoration Budget,” a strategic plan to secure peace and drive prosperity across the nation.
The proposed budget includes ₦4.91 trillion for defence and security, ₦4.06 trillion for infrastructure development, ₦2.4 trillion for healthcare, and ₦3.5 trillion for education.
As the budget discussion shifts to the House of Representatives, the legislative body will begin its defence of the bill on Tuesday, January 9, 2025.
Abubakar Bichi, Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, shared that lawmakers aim to pass the budget by the end of January 2025, allowing for a swift implementation of the proposed plans.
The Senate, led by Adeola Olamilekan, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, is also preparing to start its budget defence session.
During a meeting on Monday, Olamilekan confirmed that the Senate hopes to pass the budget by January 31, 2025.
The Senate’s budget defence will begin on Tuesday, and a planned retreat is set for Thursday, which will involve ministries, civil society groups, and other stakeholders in further consultations on the budget’s content.
Olamilekan emphasised the tight schedule ahead and called on his colleagues to remain focused, urging them to forgo holidays and prioritise the timely passage of the budget.
“We have limited time, and we must ensure the budget is handled efficiently to meet the required deadlines,” he said.
In line with the budget defence schedule, committee reports will be reviewed between January 15 and 18, 2025.
Following this, the Appropriation Committee will collate and tidy up the documents, with an aim to present the budget for passage as soon as possible.
