The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (APC, Ogun West), has announced that January 31 is the tentative date for the passage of the N49.7 trillion budget for the 2025 fiscal year.
Senator Adeola shared this information during a meeting with the chairpersons of various Senate standing committees in Abuja.
He explained that the date is set for the laying of the final reports on the budget before both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had presented the N49.7 trillion Appropriation Bill to a joint session of the National Assembly on December 18, 2024, urging lawmakers to expedite the process.
The bill has already passed the second reading in both chambers of the National Assembly.
Senator Adeola acknowledged that the timeline for consideration and passage of the budget is tight but emphasized the need to make the best efforts.
He also confirmed that budget defense by Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) will begin today, January 7, and that reports from various Senate committees will be submitted between January 15 and 18.
“After that, the Appropriations Committee will collate and finalize the reports, with the hope of laying the final budget report before the Senate on January 31,” said Senator Adeola.
“However, this date is provisional and meant to guide our work.”
Similarly, the House of Representatives will begin its budget defense session with MDAs today.
Hon. Abubakar Kabir Abubakar Bichi, Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, also addressed the media following an inaugural meeting with House committee chairs on Monday.
He stated that the House aims to harmonize reports from the budget defense by January 22, with the final report expected to be presented to the House on January 31.
