- Both Chambers Set Jan 31 Deadline To Pass Budget
- Senate Urges Lawmakers To Step Up Efforts Despite Limited Time
- Reps To Commence Defence By MDAs Today
The National Assembly, comprising the Senate and the House of Representatives are in a race against time to pass the 2025 Budget.
This is even as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Adeola Olamilekan, has affirmed January 31, 2025, as a provisional date for the passage of the 2025 ₦49.7tn budget as the committee prepares to begin budget defence on Tuesday, January 7, 2024.
Similarly, his counterpart in the House of Representatives, Abubakar Bichi has disclosed that the committee is to commence the defence for the 2025 appropriation bill by Ministries Departments and Agencies on Tuesday.
Senator Olamilekan made this disclosure on Monday during a meeting with the chairmen of relevant committees on the template for the 2025 Budget Defence Session to guide the budget process towards its eventual signing into law.
Olamilekan further revealed that upon the resumption of plenary by the 14th of January 2025, the Senate would immediately commence a two-week break for the seamless continuation of the budget defence process.
He equally revealed a planned retreat on Thursday on the budget consideration which will involve ministries, departments and agencies, civil society organisations, and other stakeholders in the polity for further consultation and insight into the content of the budget proposal.
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According to the timetable, from the 15th to the 18th of January, it is expected that the committees would report back on their documents, after which collation and tiding of documents by the Appropriation Committee.
Acknowledging the limited timeframe, Olamilekan emphasised the need for lawmakers to intensify their efforts. He also urged his colleagues to forgo their holidays and begin immediate work on the proposed budget estimate, underscoring the importance of timely and efficient handling of the budget process within the stipulated timeframe.
On his part, the chairman House Committee on Appropriation, Abubakar Bichi, revealed on Monday after a meeting with chairmen of statutory committees at the House of Representatives that the committee is poised to commence the defence for the 2025 appropriation bill by Ministries Departments and Agencies on Tuesday.
Bichi also stated that the House hopes to pass the budget before or by end of January 2025.
It would be recalled that on December 18, 2024, President Bola Tinubu presented a ₦49.7tn Budget Proposal for 2025 before a joint session of the National Assembly, with Security and defence, infrastructure, health and education topping the allocations.
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“It is with great pleasure that I lay before this distinguished joint session of the National Assembly, the 2025 Budget of Nigeria titled, ‘The Restoration Budget’ securing peace, building prosperity,” Tinubu said as he concluded his 30-minute speech during the presentation.
In his presentation, the President listed some of the highlights of the budget as defence and security – N4.91tn, infrastructure – N4.06tn, health – N2.4tn, education – N3.5tn, among others.
The President has been insistent on a January to December budget cycle and with the National Assembly yet to pass the budget, it is a race against time to pass it.
