The Nigerian Senate has approved a second extension for the implementation of the capital component of the 2024 national budget, pushing the deadline to December 31, 2025. The decision was reached during Tuesday's plenary session following the presentation and swift passage of an amendment bill to the Appropriation Act.
Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, announced the resolution after the Senate Committee on Supply's report was adopted. The debate for the extension was led by Senator Solomon Adeola (APC, Ogun West), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation.
According to Senator Adeola, the extension was necessary to prevent the abandonment of critical national projects. "We must not allow these important national projects to be abandoned due to time constraints. Extending the implementation period will ensure value for money and improved service delivery," he argued.
Second Extension in Six Months
This marks the second time the National Assembly has extended the implementation timeline for the 2024 capital budget. The first extension came in December 2024 following a formal request from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who sought to push the deadline from December 31, 2024, to June 30, 2025.
With this latest extension, Nigeria will now be running two capital budgets—2024 and 2025—concurrently, raising questions about potential funding challenges in the implementation process.
Earlier during the session, the lawmaker representing Bauchi Central Senatorial District, Abdul Ahmed Ningi, called for an investigation into the non-payment of contractors since 2024, highlighting concerns about the execution of budgeted projects.
The extension is expected to provide more time for the completion of ongoing capital projects while ensuring that allocated funds are properly utilized for their intended purposes.
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