Nigeria’s House of Representatives on Wednesday urged President Bola Tinubu to fasten the presentation of the 2025 budget proposals to the National Assembly, citing concerns over potential delays in the legislative review process.
During plenary, the lawmakers called on the executive to comply with section 11(1)(b) of the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) of 2007, which mandates that the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and the Appropriation Bill must be submitted at least four months before the end of the current financial year.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion raised by Clement Jumbo, a member representing Abak/Etim Ekpo/Ika Federal Constituency, who expressed concern over the executive’s failure to submit the 2025 MTEF and budget estimates on time.
With the current budget cycle set to end on December 31, 2024, he noted that only two and a half months remain for lawmakers to review and pass the budget for next year.
Jumbo warned that the delayed submission of the appropriation bill would limit lawmakers’ ability to thoroughly scrutinise the document, leading to rushed decisions.
In support of the motion, Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda urged lawmakers across party lines to back the call, stressing that the late submission of the 2024 budget had left them with little time to assess the proposals last year, forcing them to pass it under pressure.
Hon. Solomon Bob added that the House might reject future budget submissions that arrive too late for adequate deliberation.
The House then unanimously adopted the motion and asked the House Committees on National Planning and Economic Development, Appropriations, and Finance to make a directive for the executive to comply within two weeks.
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