For the second time, the National Assembly has agreed to push the deadline for the capital part of the 2024 budget, now giving ministries and agencies until December 31, 2025, to complete projects. This move has stirred a wave of backlash toward President Bola Tinubu and federal lawmakers.
During a session on Tuesday, senators approved the change following a quick process that saw the amended budget bill pass through its first, second, and third readings. Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, who led the session, confirmed the extension after lawmakers voted in support. The Senate Committee on Supply reviewed the bill before passage.
Senator Olamilekan Adeola, who leads the Appropriations Committee, defended the decision, saying the federal government still needs more time to finish key projects. He also noted the country lacks enough money to fund all planned expenses in one year, making the extension necessary to avoid leaving projects unfinished.
On the same day, the House of Representatives also passed a bill extending the 2024 capital budget. Deputy Majority Leader Ibrahim Halims presented the bill, which was passed after Speaker Tajudeen Abbas noted that the capital aspect of the budget had not been fully put into action. The bill is now with the House Committee on Supply for further review.
This latest extension follows an earlier one that moved the budget from its original end date of December 31, 2024, to June 30, 2025. That change was made to allow more time to complete ongoing capital projects.
Despite the new December 2025 deadline, the 2025 budget has already been passed. Yet, reports say implementation is still stalled. A senior official from a federal ministry, who spoke anonymously, said all operations are still running under the 2024 budget, causing major payment delays to workers and contractors.
“The implementation of the 2025 budget is yet to commence. The information we are getting is that it is still in process and will likely start by August,” the source revealed. The same official added that unpaid allowances and debts have affected workers’ morale and project execution.
Meanwhile, Mr. Bawa Mokwa, Director of Press and Public Relations at the Office of the Accountant General, noted that capital funds under the 2024 budget were recently released. However, he didn’t comment directly on the reason for the repeated extensions.
