Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu has formally written the National Assembly, seeking legislative approval for a consolidated 2024–2025 budget with a total proposed expenditure of ₦43.56 trillion, in a move aimed at ending Nigeria’s long standing practice of running multiple budgets at the same time.
The request was conveyed in separate letters dated December 16, 2025, and addressed to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen. The letters were read at plenary on Wednesday in both chambers.
In the Senate, Akpabio read the President’s letter during plenary, after which it was referred to the Senate Secretariat for necessary legislative action. In the House of Representatives, the communication, titled “Transmission of the Appropriation Repeal and Re enactment Bill, 2024–2025”, was read by the Clerk and taken as First Reading.
Tinubu explained that the bill seeks authorisation for the issuance of ₦43,561,041,744,507 from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation for the year ending December 31, 2025, in line with constitutional and legislative appropriation procedures.
He outlined the proposed expenditure to include ₦1 trillion for statutory transfers, ₦8.2 trillion for debt servicing, ₦11.2 trillion for recurrent non debt expenditure, and ₦22.2 trillion for capital expenditure and development fund contribution. In the letter to the House, a more detailed breakdown listed ₦1.74 trillion for statutory transfers, ₦8.27 trillion for debt service, ₦4.11 trillion for recurrent non debt expenditure, and ₦22.28 trillion for capital expenditure and development fund contribution.
According to Tinubu, the proposed legislation is designed to end overlapping fiscal cycles and improve capital budget performance across both years. He said, “This bill is to bring an end to the practice of running multiple budgets concurrently, while at the same time ensuring reasonable, indeed unprecedentedly high, capital performance rates on the 2024 and 2025 capital budgets.”
He added that the bill would provide a transparent and constitutionally grounded framework for consolidating critical and time sensitive expenditures undertaken in response to emergency situations. “It further provides for the orderly consolidation and appropriation of critical, time sensitive expenditures necessarily undertaken in response to emergency exigencies, while reinforcing fiscal discipline, accountability and prudent public financial management,” he stated.
The President noted that the proposal would also strengthen implementation discipline by ensuring that appropriated funds are released and applied strictly for purposes specified in the schedules. The House letter added that virement would only be allowed with prior approval of the National Assembly, excess revenue must be recorded separately, and its expenditure would require legislative approval, alongside mandatory due process compliance and periodic reporting by government agencies.
Tinubu urged both chambers to give the bill expedited consideration in the national interest.
In the House of Representatives, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, who presided over the session, directed the Majority Leader, Prof Julius Ihonvbere, to move that the bill be scheduled for Second Reading.
The move drew objections from some lawmakers, who insisted that copies of the bill should first be circulated to members for proper study.
Despite the objections, the motion was seconded and the bill was subsequently referred to the House Committee on Appropriations for further legislative consideration.
