Tinubu, NASS Under Fire Over Budget Delay

Abuja, Nigeria: The National Assembly has once again approved an extension of the capital component of the 2024 federal budget, pushing its implementation deadline to December 31, 2025

The move has triggered renewed criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration and the legislature, amid growing concerns about fiscal discipline and the government’s budget execution capacity.

The Senate, during Tuesday’s plenary session, passed the amendment to the Appropriation Act after it was read and approved through all legislative stages in a single sitting. The decision followed a motion led by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin and supported by Senator Olamilekan Adeola, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation.

Adeola argued that the extension was necessary to complete ongoing projects and prevent abandonment due to limited financial resources. He urged fellow lawmakers to support the measure to avoid wastage and ensure continuity in public infrastructure delivery.

Similarly, the House of Representatives passed the second reading of a corresponding bill, introduced by Deputy Majority Leader Ibrahim Halims, which seeks to amend the Appropriation Act to extend the capital component’s lifespan. Speaker Tajudeen Abbas emphasized that the extension was crucial, citing inadequate implementation of the capital budget to date.

The capital portion of the 2024 budget had previously been extended from December 2024 to June 2025. President Tinubu had defended the earlier extension as necessary to complete ongoing capital projects. However, with the new December 2025 deadline, Nigeria is now effectively running two budgets concurrently: the extended 2024 budget and the 2025 budget, which has been passed but not yet implemented.

Inside sources within the civil service have confirmed that many ministries are still operating under the 2024 budget, with the 2025 appropriation yet to take effect nearly seven months into the year. A senior official, speaking anonymously, said the delay has led to payment backlogs and hindered government operations.

“From January to date, all our expenses have been funded from the 2024 budget. Contractor payments and staff allowances are pending. The 2025 budget hasn’t kicked off yet,” the official noted, adding that August is being speculated as the earliest possible implementation date.

Meanwhile, the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation has confirmed recent capital fund releases under the 2024 budget, but declined to provide clarity on the timeline for transitioning to the 2025 budget.

Renowned economist Dr. Ayo Teriba criticized the repeated extensions, warning that it reflects a troubling pattern of poor fiscal planning. “This is becoming habitual. Budgets are designed for 12-month cycles. Extending them repeatedly without commensurate funding shows there is simply no money to execute these plans,” he said.

Analysts and private sector stakeholders echo similar concerns, warning that prolonged budget overlaps can obscure financial accountability, stall project completion, and diminish investor confidence in Nigeria’s economic governance.

By Taiwo Olatinwo/ June 25, 2025