By Gloria Ikibah
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has requested the House of Representatives to approve a sweeping shift that would end Nigeria’s long-running problem of overlapping budget cycles.
In a formal request to lawmakers, the President is seeking approval to withdraw N43.561 trillion from the federal government’s consolidated revenue fund to finance spending for 2026. 
The letter, dated 16 December 2025, was presented on the floor of the House on Wednesday by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu.
According to the President, the proposal is designed to draw a clear line under the era of multiple budget implementations. He also said the move would lock in strong capital spending performance, building on what he described as unusually high execution rates recorded in the 2024 and 2025 capital budgets.
If approved, the plan would mark a major reset in how federal budgets are planned and delivered.
The President explained that N1,742,786,788,150 is for Statutory Transfers, N8,270,960,606,831 for Debt Service, N11,268,513,380,853 for Recurrent (Non-Debt) Expenditure, and N22,278,780,968,673 for Capital Expenditure/Development Fund contribution, for the year ending 31 December 2025 (as provided in the Bill).
The letter reads: “the House of Representatives, the enclosed Appropriation (Repeal and Re-enactment Bill-2), 2024, for the consideration of the National Assembly, in accordance with the established constitutional and legislative appropriation process.
“The Bill seeks to authorise the issue from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation of the total sum of N43,561,041,744,507, comprising N1,742,786,788,150 for Statutory Transfers, N8,270,960,606,831 for Debt Service, N11,268,513,380,853 for Recurrent (Non-Debt) Expenditure, and N22,278,780,968,673 for Capital Expenditure/Development Fund contribution, for the year ending 31 December 2025 (as provided in the Bill).
“This Bill is to bring an end to the practice of running multiple budgets concurrently, while at the same time ensuring reasonable – indeed unprecedentedly high – capital performance rates on the 2024 and 2025 capital budgets.
“It further provides, through a transparent and constitutionally grounded appropriation mechanism, for the orderly consolidation and appropriation of critical, time-sensitive expenditures necessarily undertaken in response to emergency exigencies (advancing the collective well-being of Nigerians and safeguarding national security) – while reinforcing fiscal discipline, accountability, and prudent public financial management.
“The House of Representatives may wish to note that, the Bill also strengthens implementation discipline and accountability by, among other provisions: requiring that appropriated funds are released and applied strictly for the purposes specified in the Schedules; providing that virement may only be effected with prior approval of the National Assembly; setting out conditions for corrigenda where genuine errors may hinder implementation; requiring separate recording of excess revenue and limiting its expenditure to an Act or approval of the National Assembly; and mandating due-process compliance and periodic reporting on releases and agency revenues/assistance.
“Whilst it is my hope that the House of Representatives will consider the passage of the Bill expeditiously, please accept, Rt. Honourable Speaker, the assurances of my highest consideration”.
