Reps, Senate To Commence 2025 Budget Defense

The House of Representatives is to commence the defense for the 2025 appropriation bill by Ministries, Departments and Agencies on Tuesday while expecting to pass the budget before or by end of January 2025.

Following a meeting with the chairmen of statutory committees at the House of Representatives on Monday, Abubakar Bichi, the chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, made this announcement.

The House intends to approve the budget by the end of January 2025, Bichi stated.

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 defense, infrastructure, health, and education topping the allocations.

“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 defense and security – N4.91tn, infrastructure – N4.06tn, health – N2.4tn, education – N3.5tn, among others.

In the same vein, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Adeola Olamilekan, has affirmed January 31, 2025, as a provisional date for the passage of the 2025 ₦49.7tn budget as the committee also prepares to begin budget defence on Tuesday.

To ensure the smooth continuation of the budget defense process, the Senate announced that it would begin a two-week recess.

This information was revealed on Monday when meeting with the chairmen of the pertinent committees to discuss the 2025 Budget Defense Session framework, which would direct the budget process until it is finally signed into law.

He equally revealed a planned retreat on Thursday on the budget consideration, which will involve ministries, departments and agencies, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders in the polity for further consultation and insight into the content of the budget proposal.

The schedule states that the committees are anticipated to report back on their documents between January 15 and January 18, following which the Appropriations Committee will compile and tally the documents.

Olamilekan underlined that lawmakers must step up their efforts in light of the short timetable. In order to emphasize the significance of handling the budget process in a timely and effective manner within the allotted period, he also asked his colleagues to skip their holidays and start working on the recommended budget estimate right away.