President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has formally requested the National Assembly to approve an extension of the implementation of the 2025 Appropriation Act to March 31, 2026, in a bid to address Nigeria’s long-standing problem of overlapping budget cycles.
The request was contained in a letter dated December 18, 2025, which was read on Friday during a special plenary session of the House of Representatives by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas.
Tinubu explained that the new letter supersedes an earlier one sent on December 16, 2025, noting that the proposed extension forms part of broader fiscal reforms aimed at improving budget planning, execution, and accountability. He said the adjustment would enable the release of at least 30 per cent of capital allocations to ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs), stressing that persistent delays in fund releases have continued to undermine budget performance.
The President disclosed that the proposal includes the repeal and re-enactment of the 2024 and 2025 Appropriation Acts.
Under the plan, the 2024 budget would be revised upward to ₦43.56 trillion, while the 2025 budget would be adjusted to ₦48.32 trillion and extended to run until March 31, 2026.
He noted that the amendments would also accommodate items not previously captured and align budget implementation with prevailing fiscal realities and the government’s execution capacity. Tinubu urged lawmakers to consider and pass the bills expeditiously in the interest of national development.
Since assuming office in May 2023, the Tinubu administration has struggled with overlapping budgets, largely due to delays in budget passage, revenue shortfalls, and the slow release of capital funds.
