Tag: national assembly

Food security: National Assembly promises increased funding for agriculture • ‘Help Nigerians make informed decision on GMOs’• IG seeks removal of police from envelope budgeting

More ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government yesterday appeared before National Assembly to defend their allocations in this year’s budget.

They included the Federal Ministries of Agriculture and Food Security; Transportation; as well as Housing and Urban Development.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun and officials of the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) also appeared before the lawmakers to defend the budget allocations to the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) and the agency of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

During the budget defence, the National Assembly Joint Committee on Agricultural Production and Services threatened zero allocation to agencies under the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security whose chief executive officers fail to appear in person to defend their 2025 budget estimates.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee, Saliu Mustapha, and his House of Representatives counterpart, Bello Kaoje, expressed disappointment that despite the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for all heads of agencies to appear at the National Assembly to defend their budget allocations, some of them failed to do so.

The lawmakers expressed frustration about the absence of the Director General of the Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service, Dr. Vincent Isegbe, during the budget defence session of the agency.

Mustapha told the representative of the director general that there was no reason for him, as the accounting officer of his agency, not to appear before the committee.

The committee co-chairman ordered Isegbe to appear before the committee to defend his agency’s budget estimates latest by January 20.

He said: “We are not going to attend to you. When the President came to present this budget, he made it clear that all heads of agencies must come to defend their estimates and should, therefore, call off any plan to travel. We are going to give him another time, but that may not be too convenient for him because we have a time frame to submit our report.

“We should all make this thing easy for ourselves. There is no need for us to drag what we don’t need to drag. Even if he is coming to take an excuse, he should have been here to say these are the people that will do this thing on my behalf.

“At the end of the day, we will ask you certain questions and you will not be able to answer them. Are we supposed to be taking those kinds of excuses? You may wish to excuse us and tell him that we are giving him 48 hours to report.

“The President made it very clear that nobody should travel when he came to present the budget, and it is now that he will start traveling. So, tell him that we are available tomorrow, and that’s the best we will give him to appear.”

Also yesterday, the National Assembly promised to help seek adequate funding for the agricultural sector through a gradual increase in budgetary allocations to address food security.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture Production Services and Rural Development, Saliu Mustapha, said this during the budget defence by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security before the National Assembly joint Committee on Agricultural Production.

He said: “The allocation of about 4.2 per cent of the total budget to the agricultural sector in 2025 is a positive development at keeping with the commitment Nigeria made in the Maputo Declaration to commit at least 10 per cent of its budget.

“This is a significant improvement for Nigeria’s economy and the future of its agricultural sector. The effort is commendable and the President is called upon to do more.

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“In the Year 2024, the sector, despite the climate change and insecurity in the nation, contributed significantly to the Nigerian economy. This is attested to by the report of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), which reported an initial growth of 0.18 per cent in Year 2024.

“I assure you of our readiness and commitment to work assiduously and pass the 2025 budget that will reposition the agricultural sector in line with the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

“I must commend the effort of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Executive on the attempt of repositioning the agricultural sector, and the concerted effort to return it as the mainstay of the Nigeria’s economy.”

The Chairman of House Committee on Agricultural Production and Services, Bello Kaoje, said the agricultural sector is key to the economy and cannot be ignored.

A member of the committee and former Kebbi State governor, Senator Adamu Aleiro, said Nigeria had not met the 10 per cent allocation of the national budget to agriculture in line with the Malabo Declaration.

The senator expressed surprise over the reduction in the budgetary allocation to the agriculture ministry.

He said: “Your co-mandate is to ensure massive production of food for the country. You know very well that in the next eight to 10 years, Nigeria is going to be the third largest country in the world in terms of population; after China, India, the next country will be Nigeria.

“With this allocation coming to the agricultural sector, how do we cater for the huge population that is going to come up with this kind of allocation coming to the agricultural sector?”

The House of Representatives Committee on Science and Technology yesterday directed the

National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) to clearly label all Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) products in the country to help Nigerians make informed decisions.

Speaking during the budget defence by the agency, a member of the committee, Awaji-Inombek Abiante, sought a clear labelling of such products for Nigerians to know what they consume.

“In advanced environments, you have choices, but here (in Nigeria), we do not label. There is a question mark on tela maize. So, what we are saying is that you have to do more research before adaptation.

“You’re serving Nigerians what ordinarily, if they have that knowledge, wouldn’t consume and you’re trying to justify it,” he said.

The lawmaker was reacting to the presentation by NABDA’s Director General, Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha, who had attempted to justify GMOs.

The agency boss announced that if you buy cereals from the United States (U.S.), you are already consuming GMO.

He said: “Ninety per cent of maize in the U.S is GMO.”

According to him, some Nigerians – and not all – reject GMOs, as being portrayed.

IGP Egbetokun yesterday said there is a need to remove the NPF from the current envelope budgetary regime to enable it make accurate funding projections.

The police boss explained that his suggestion would foster greater flexibility and ensure availability of funds to manage the force more effectively.

Egbetokun also highlighted the need for the approval and creation of a Special Operations Account dedicated solely to national security emergencies, as well as an increase in allocations for overhead and capital expenditure.

The police boss said this while defending the 2025 budget allocation to the NPF before the National Assembly’s Joint Committees on Police Affairs and Police Institutions.

He proposed the allocating funds for the construction of five new zonal headquarters, along with supporting tactical units critical to internal security.

Egbetokun also called for the approval of dedicated budget lines for police training institutions to enhance capacity building.

Also yesterday, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Urban Development and Regional Planning, Awaji-Inombek Abiante, raised concerns over the conversion of residential areas into commercial and industrial zones.

Abiante spoke when the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Dr. Shuaib Belgore, appeared before the committee to defend the ministry’s 2024 budget performance and its 2025 budget proposal.

The lawmaker stressed the need for proper town planning beyond housing provision to prevent the emergence of slums.

He added: “We have raised concerns regarding the conversion of residential areas to commercial and even semi-industrial areas. These changes come with challenges. We expect that before approvals for such conversions are granted, thorough impact assessments should be conducted.

“We also hope that assessments will be done for new and upcoming estates to ensure that solutions to housing problems do not inadvertently create additional challenges.”

Also, Transportation Minister Sai’du Ahmed Alkali yesterday said the ministry required increased funding of the rail sector to achieve an efficient rail transportation network across the country.

The minister said the ministry was working hard to realise Nigeria’s Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan.

He added that the execution of many projects was stalled by paucity of funds.

Alkali spoke when he appeared before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Land Transport during the budget defence session of the 2025 Appropriation Bill and the presentation of the 2024 budget performance of the ministry and its agencies.

The 2025 budget proposal of the ministry and its agencies is N225,744,028,687 billion out of which it is proposing N1,940,798,202 for overhead and N223,803,230,485 billion as capital.

On the need for increased funding, Alkali said: “The ministry and its agencies resolved to work hard at ensuring the realisation of Nigeria’s integrated infrastructure master plan, which accommodates the rail modernisation projects and road transport/mass transit projects.

“However, the ability to meet the target is significantly challenged by the funding gap, especially against the background of dwindling revenue accruing to the country. In the railway transport sub-sector, an increase in funding is needed to meet the realisation of an adequate and functioning railway transportation system.

“The ministry, through concerted intervention, is implementing the Nigerian Railway Modernisation project and progressively expanding the railway network through yearly budgetary appropriation, following the challenges being faced in securing counterpart funding through loans.

“To sustain the progressive output under the 2024 Appropriation Act in this financial year, a need for increased funding arises to improve the existing infrastructure in all the agencies under the ministry.”

The National Assembly Joint Committee on Finance has given revenue-generating agencies 48 48-hour ultimatum to appear or risk being withdrawn from government funding for 2025 operations.

It decried their failure to honour invitations for their 2025 budget defence and their revenue-generating profile.

The agencies include the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), the Nigerian Postal Service (NPS), and the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC).

Others are the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority and the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

The Nigerian Copyright Commission, National Insurance Commission, National Pensions Commission, National Space and Research Development Agency, and the Nigerian Metrological Agency are also included.

The rest are the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporations, Airspace Management Authority, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas Limited, Transmission Company of Nigeria, Bank of Industry (BoI), and Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaira.

Speaking during the second day of the revenue profiling exercise, Chairman of the Senate Committee of Finance, Senator Sani Musa (APC-Niger), said President Bola Tinubu, while presenting the 2025 budget to the National Assembly, mandated all ministers and heads of agencies to appear to defend their respective budgets before the Assembly.

According to Senator Musa, members of the National Assembly had to cut short their Christmas holidays to attend to the national assignment.

“But to our dismay, a lot of agencies have refused to honour our invitations to appear before us, for us to scrutinise their performances in 2024 and look at their 2025 projection, if it is justifiable.

“These agencies have refused to honour the Joint Committee’s invitation.

“So, by virtue of the constitutional powers given to the Joint Committees on Finance of both the Senate and the House of Representatives, we are given the chief executives of these agencies 48 hours within which to appear before this Joint Committee.

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“Failure to do that, the Committee will not hesitate to recommend to the Appropriation Committee to withhold any appropriation to these agencies.

“If these agencies are self-funded, we will also request both the Minister of Finance and the Accountant General of the Federation to withhold their funding,” he said.

Chairman of the House Committee on Finance, James Faleke (APC-Lagos State), said the essence of the budget defence exercise was to boost revenue generation and cut down on borrowing.

“If these agencies refuse to appear before us, the needful will be done by the National Assembly,” he said.

The Senate adjourned plenary till January 28 to enable heads of ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to defend their allocations in the N49.7trillion 2025 Appropriations Bill before its relevant committees.

The Senate’s resolution to suspend plenary for two weeks followed a motion moved by the Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Ashiru Oyelola.

Senators approved the motion when it was put to voice vote by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

The National Assembly Joint Committee on Finance yesterday set up a special panel to probe a shortfall of N4 trillion revenue due to indiscriminate waivers given to agencies of government.

The joint committee, co-chaired by Senator Sani Musa and House of Representatives member James Faleke, held a hearing to probe the revenue profiles of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) and government-owned enterprises (GOEs) ahead of the 2025 budget implementation.

The hearing was meant to help the Senate and House of Representatives committees to develop accurate revenue projections for 2025.

The panel to probe the shortfall was set up, following a motion by Senator Adamu Aliero.

Moving the motion, Aliero said: “Due to the issue of waiver, there is a serious shortfall between what is supposed to be collected as revenue and what is actually collected.

“From our record, over N5.9 trillion was supposed to be the consolidated revenue fund of the federation. But we only have N1.9 trillion. We need to set up a special committee that will investigate this serious anomaly.

“We cannot continue to allow revenue agencies to spend money without the National Assembly. If someone is given a waiver, we have to find out who gave that waiver. A shortfall of over N4 trillion is not a small amount. We found out that over N4.9 trillion has not been remitted. We should set up an investigative committee that would investigate all the money that has not been remitted,” he said.

Co-chairman Musa said the committee was aware that a lot of GOEs collected revenues from other sources but never disclosed them.

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“Some of them did not even disclose anything to the Budget Office. We’ve been able to get all those and we have all done our own scrutinisation and we believe that GOEs and heads of departments that are here will be able to give us more details on how these revenues are sourced.

“We have also looked at their expenditures. You can imagine an agency collecting revenue whereby it is expected that sales are self-funded.

“Funds that are supposed to be remitted to the consolidated revenue fund, but it is never done. I think from now on, we are going to block that leakage and we will do the needful. We will scrutinise the expenditures of these GOEs because a GOE will collect 100 per cent revenue and in its expenditure, you see that it’s spending about 95 per cent of that revenue it collected. So, this is the avenue at which we are able to find a lasting solution to those leakages,” he said.

Musa noted that President Bola Ahmed Tinub, while presenting the 2025 Appropriation Bill before the National Assembly, stressed the need for heads of agencies to appear before the National Assembly to defend their budgets.

The senator said MDAs should not be surprised if they get zero allocation, if they fail to present themselves and defend what they have presented to the Budget Office.

The joint committee queried the expenditures by some government agencies, including the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in the 2025 budget proposal.

Governors having issues with the tax reform bills should address their concerns to the National Assembly, the Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Policy Communications, Daniel Bwala, has said. 

Bwala, who spoke on Monday on national television, noted that only second-term governors are opposing the bills, while their first-term counterparts have yet to raise any issues regarding the documents. 

According to him, discussions about the Tax Reform Bills should remain within the National Assembly. 

While expressing disappointment over some governors who opposed the bills, Bwala stated that the governors should address their issues with the bills to National Assembly members from their states, rather than making public statements. 

Since the unveiling of the tax reform bills, they have generated heated debates across the country, with the majority of the pushback coming from the North. 

While several political gladiators have argued against the passage of the bills, others have spoken in favour of the documents currently before the National Assembly. 

However, the dust over the bills is already settling as some die-hard opponents have since changed their stance. 

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President Tinubu, on October 3, 2024, forwarded a tax reform bill to the Senate and House of Representatives for approval. 

Part of the bill provides for reforms in the sector, including changing the name of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS). 

However, in the early stages of the bills, a joint meeting of the Northern Governors Forum and the Northern Traditional Rulers Council rejected the Tax Reform Bills as anti-North. 

But according to Bwala, many governors and some leaders from the region contended that the tax reform bills, which also led to open confrontations in both chambers of the National Assembly, were meant to favour Lagos State and narrow interests, as well as to shortchange the North. 

“I choose to make my argument completely outside this prism of regionality. Because that is where it inflames the passion. The tax reform bills have come to stay, and they will be passed. 

“Let us forget that it is the North vs the South. It is the governors who are going to be impacted. It is the governors from states where their income will reduce if the derivation is applied. This set of governors is in the majority of the states and is not limited to the North. 

“Maybe the governors from the North have decided to be vocal about it. But amid this cacophony of positions between the governors and the federal government, remember, even in the case of local government autonomy, it wasn’t a case of region. It was still the governors because local government autonomy from the beginning was considered an initiative that would weaken their powers,” he said. 

On the governors who believed their revenues would go down, he said, “Tell them that if our focus is on the Nigerian people, then it should be more about the generality of Nigerians who are more than 36 anyway. 

“The governors are 36, plus the minister of the FCT, which makes it 37. But those who will be impacted positively by the implementation of this tax are over 200 million people in Nigeria. If you look at the content, you will see a lot of initiatives that will benefit the Nigerian people,” Bwala said.

The joint National Assembly Committee on Solid Minerals on Friday rejected the budgetary proposal for the Ministry in the 2025 appropriation bill.

The joint session of the Senate and the House of Representatives committees chaired by Senator Ekong Sampson also directed the Minister Budget and National Planning and the Director General of the Budget Office to appear before to explain why the budgetary allocation to the Ministry was so poor.

Rejecting the budgetary proposal, Sen. Sampson, expressed concerns over the feasibility and potential impact of the projects outlined by the ministry  for execution in the year, as against the paltry budgetary allocation to the sector. 

The co-chair of the committee and member o the House of Representatives,  Hon. Jonathan Gaza also raised critical questions about the ministry’s proposed expenditures and their alignment with national priorities.

Gaza argued that if the country would be serious in her efforts at diversifying from the mono-economic dependence on oil, adequate funding should be made available for the solid minerals sector 

Solid  Minerals Minister, Dr. Dele Alake while defending the budget proposal, outlined the ministry’s strategic objectives and the anticipated contributions to the economy. 

He explained: “The Ministry proposed a capital budget of ₦539 billion, with ₦500 billion allocated to exploration.” Stressing that, “without exploration, you can’t generate data, and without internationally certified data, investors will not be encouraged. 

“They need to know the type, quantity, and depth of minerals available before making investment decisions. Exploration is an expensive venture.”

But Alake told the joint session that an abysmal sum of #9 billion was what the ministry received  in her envelope for this year’s budget.

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According to him: “Unfortunately, in contrast to the objectives of diversifying Nigeria’s economy away from oil and into green energy and solid minerals development, the ministry received an envelope of just ₦9 billion, a far cry from our proposed ₦539 billion.”

He emphasised the need for increased investment in the sector to boost revenue and create employment opportunities.

Vexed by this allocation, Senator Diket Plang, representing Plateau Central Senatorial district, moved the motion for rejection of the budget proposal, emphasizing the importance of solid minerals as vital to Nigeria’s economic diversification and growth.

Senator Natasha Akpoti – Kogi Central Senatorial district who seconded the motion with an amendment moved for an upward review of the budgetary proposal to the solid minerals sector.

The lawmakers also stressed the need for a more detailed plan that addresses the sector’s challenges and ensures optimal use of allocated resources.

The committee directed the ministry to revise and resubmit the budget with a clearer strategy, including detailed project plans, timelines, and projected impacts, to justify the proposed allocation.

…Decries poor fund releases for 2024 capital Projects

The National Assembly joint committee on Appropriations on Wednesday held an interactive session with the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Economic Team as parts of steps towards the consideration and passage of the N49.7trillion 2025 Appropriation Bill.

The committee also postponed its retreat on the 2025 budget earlier fixed for Thursday (today) till Wednesday next week, it was learnt.

The Chairman Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Solomon Adeola and his House of Representatives counterpart, Hon. Abubakar Birchi, led lawmakers to meet with the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for Economy, Dr Wale Edun, Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Atiku’s Bagudu, Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, Director General of the Budget Office, Dr. Tanimu Yakubu and the permanent secretaries of the Ministry of Finance and that of the ministry of Budget and National Planning, in Abuja.

During the session, the joint committee, according to a statement by the Media Adviser to Senator Adeola, Chief Kayode Odunaro expressed serious concern over the huge discrepancies in the size of the recurrent expenditure relative to capital expenditure and the low level of fund releases for capital projects to Ministries, Departments and Agencies, (MDAs) in the 2024 Budget whose lifespan has been extended till June 30th, 2025 that ongoing.

He said the panel agreed  that the economic team should do something urgent to release more funds for capital projects as this is a major way for the people to feel the impact of government away from recurrent expenditure which affects only a negligible part of the population.

According to the statement, the position of the National Assembly followed the report of the Presidential Economic Team, led by Dr. Edun, showing that overall, the 2024 budget performance was 43 per cent with recurrent expenditure achieving 100 cent while capital expenditure was just 25 per cent.

Senator Adeola said he is an advocate of drastically reducing the ratio of recurrent expenditure to capital in the budget from the present level of about 80 per cent for recurrent and 20 per cent for capital to at least 60 per cent to 40 per cent, stressing that capital projects in the budget and their implementation are a major spur for economic growth and direct impact on the people.

“Capital releases to MDAs are the major drivers of economic activities within the nation. Non-release of funds for capital projects is a major issue in the performance of 2024 budget so far and it is desirable that funds are released to prevent abandoned projects and ensure the success of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the president,” he stated.

Senator Adeola said it will not be cheery news for MDAs to come for their 2025 budget defence with record of non-performance of their core mandates as contained in capital budget stressing that within the period of the 2024 budget still running, effort should be made by Finance Ministry to release funds for capital projects.

Concurring with his counterpart in the Senate, Hon. Birchi, called for more releases for capital projects of MDAs for such projects as schools, roads, dams, hospitals and other social infrastructure instead of such items as debt repayment which he argued can be restructured in the interim.

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“Most of the items of recurrent expenditure which takes a huge part of our budget and is implemented 100 per cent will only directly affect about 10 per cent of our population while capital projects of the MDAs will directly affect majority of over 200 million Nigerians in areas of social infrastructure provisions like hospitals, schools, roads and energy,” he stated.

The Minister of Finance confirmed that they have outstanding capital releases awaiting funding even as he  regretted that the country cannot go back on the old ways of spending money that is not there to avoid backlash as happened in France and Germany of recent, adding that there are warrants awaiting payment for capital projects.

Also throwing light on the issue, the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, said the huge recurrent expenditure in  National budgets is a function of the nation’s level of development and some of the societal challenges the country is facing at this moment.

He added that some of the recurrent budget goes into the campaign against insecurity by the military which is yielding results to spur agricultural production and economic activities.

The Director General of Budget Office, Dr. Tanimu Yakubu, also attributed the huge recurrent expenditure to past legacies inherited by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in areas like unpaid pensions and gratuities which the administration has successfully addressed, stressing that in the future there may be need for legislation by the National Assembly to limit the size of recurrent expenditure in the budget.

Both teams also deliberated on the issue of waivers and tax holidays which seem to reduce revenues for the government.

Meanwhile, the Senate Committee on Appropriations has postponed its retreat on the 2025 Budget earlier fixed for Thursday this week.

Senator Adeola had on Monday while meeting with chairmen of Senate Standing Committees, said: “Also let me bring to our notice that the Committee on Appropriation will be organizing a retreat, which is Thursday of this week, which we usually call the budget retreat, so that all relevant stakeholders, civil society organizations and all relevant organizations should also have an insight into the real content of the document.

“The President had laid before the proposed estimate, but the details which was also laid, nobody would say this and this happened.

“But by the time the process starts, I know for a known fact that you start seeing different narration out there, this agency has been allocated that

“But we want to have a synopsis of ideas of what is contained in that document for the benefit of Nigerians and that will come up on Thursday this week, which we are working seriously to ensure that it’s a date and a very wonderful day in that regard.”

According to a sources close to the leadership of the Senate the postponement became necessary to ensure adequate preparation before the session.

Details about how the National Assembly plans to pass the proposed N49.7 trillion 2025 Appropriation Bill have emerged. 

According to the legislative timeline, the joint National Assembly Committee on Appropriations will lay its report on the budget on Friday, 31 January 2025, setting the stage for its anticipated passage in early February. 

The National Assembly’s timetable noted that Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) are expected to defend their allocations before the relevant committees starting Monday, 7 January 2025. 

A memo obtained by our correspondent in Abuja revealed that the Senate Committees on Appropriations and Finance will meet with key government officials on Friday, 7 January, at 2 p.m. 

These officials include Wale Edun, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy; Atiku Bagudu, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning; and the Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation. 

Joint budget defence sessions between the Senate and House of Representatives’ appropriations subcommittees, alongside relevant MDAs, will begin on Wednesday, 8 January, and continue until Wednesday, 15 January 2025. 

The timetable indicates that the Appropriations Committee will present its final report on the budget on Friday, 31 January 2025. 

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Senator Adeyemi Adaramodu (APC – Ekiti South), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, confirmed the timeline in Abuja. 

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu presented the N49.7 trillion budget proposal, titled “The 2025 Budget of Restoration: Securing Peace, Rebuilding Prosperity,” during a joint session of the Senate and the House of Representatives on 18 December 2024. 

The President highlighted the budget’s focus on securing peace, fostering prosperity, and ensuring hope for a greater future for Nigeria. 

The Senate passed the 2025 Appropriation Bill for a second reading on 19 December, following a debate on its objectives and principles. 

It was then referred to the Senate Committee on Appropriations, chaired by Senator Solomon Adeola (APC – Ogun West), for further scrutiny. 

The House of Representatives also advanced the Bill to its Committee on Appropriations for additional legislative work. 

With the legislative process underway, all indications point to the budget’s passage in early February 2025.