By Christiana Ekpa
The House of Representatives on Tuesday approved President Bola Tinubu’s request by extending the implementation of the capital component of the 2025 Appropriation Act to 31st March, 2026.
This followed the passage of the 2024 and 2025 Appropriation (repeal and re-enactment) bill, transmitted by the President last week for approval.
Tinubu had, in the cover letter transmitted to the Speaker, solicited the House’s approval to enable the full release of capital implementation funds to all ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs).
The first bill sought to repeal the 2024 Appropriation Act of N35,055,536,770,218 and re-enact by authorising the issuance from the consolidated revenue fund of the Federation of the total sum of N43,561,041,744,507, comprising N1,742,786.788,150 for Statutory Transfers; N8,270,960,606,831 for Debt Service; N11,268,513,380,853 for Recurrent (Non-Debt) expenditure, and N22,278,780,968,673 for Capital Expenditure/Development Fund contributions for the year ending 31st December, 2025.
The second bill seeks to repeal the 2025 Appropriation Act of N54,990,165,355,396 and re-enacting it by authorising the issuance from the consolidated revenue fund of the federation of the total sum of N48,316,242,591,785, comprising N3,645,761,358,925 for Statutory Transfers, N14,317,142.689,548 for Debt Service, N13,588,009,682,673 for Recurrent (Non-Debt) Expenditure, and N16,765,328,860,640 for Capital Expenditure/Development Fund contribution for the year ending 31st March, 2026.
The Appropriation bills were passed sequel to the adoption of a report presented by the Chairman, House Committee on Appropriations, Hon. Abubakar Bichi.
While giving synopsis of the report, Hon. Bichi explained that the Committee met with the President’s Economy Team led by the Minister of Finance, Mr. Wale Edun; Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu and Director General of Budget Office of the Federation, Dr. Yakubu Tanimu to obtain insight into the justification for the repeal and enactment of the 2024 and 2025 Appropriations Act.
Hon. Bichi explained that the repeal and re-enactment of the 2025 budget will balance responsiveness with fiscal responsibility, ensuring that urgent expenditures do not weaken legislative oversight or undermine fiscal freedoms.
He explained that the sum of N16.765 trillion was reduced from the capital allocation and rolled over to the 2026 fiscal year due to funding constraints.
“The initiative is expected to make the budget effective, reducing the expenditure of the governance, giving the anticipated increase in revenue-generating properties in the next fiscal year,” he said.
Hon. Bichi admitted that the practice of rolling budget cycles, such as extending the implementation of the 2024 Appropriation Act deep into 2025 while the 2025 budget is in force, undermines budget clarity and weakens fiscal discipline.
After the presentation of the report, the house considered the bills clause by clause, approved them, and passed them for Third Reading.
To this end, the House adjourned plenary to Tuesday, 27th January 2026.
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