Report on N54.2trillon 2025 budget estimates, will be presented to the Senate by its Committee on Appropriations on Wednesday February 12 or Thursday February 13, 2025, said the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
Akpabio who gave the assurance in plenary on Tuesday during his remarks after debate on a bill seeking for establishment of a federal University of Agriculture in Abak, Akwa Ibom state, said there was need for them to quickly end the debate for final work on the 2025 budget.
“You will observe that some of our colleagues are not in the Chamber because of the required final touches on the 2025 Appropriation bill , report of which will be laid before us tomorrow (Wednesday) or next tomorrow (Thursday) this week.
“So will need to close early to allow for collective efforts in that direction for final consideration and passage of the 2025 Appropriation Bill,” he said.
The Senate and the House of Representatives had earlier fixed January 31, 2025 for passage of the N49.7trillion earlier proposed budget for 2025 by President Bola Tinubu.
However before the date, both chambers shifted their resumption from Christmas and New year recess from January 31, 2025 to February 4, 2025, the very day they both received communication from President Bola Tinubu on increase of total expenditure profile of the proposed budget from N49.7trillion to N54.2trillion.
Both Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Tajudeen Abbas in their separate remarks after reading the letter, said the budget proposals would have to be reprocessed for inclusion of additional N4.5trillion.
Specifically Akpabio after reading the letter, urged the committee on Appropriations to expedite action on the request for possible passage of the budget before the end of February.
