By Ade Oyeyemi
The National Assembly has extended the implementation period of the capital component of the 2025 Appropriation Act by three months, moving the deadline from September 30 to December 31, 2026.
The extension was approved separately by the Senate and the House of Representatives during Tuesday’s plenary, allowing Ministries, Departments and Agencies to continue implementing capital projects funded under the 2025 budget.
At the Senate, the amendment was sponsored by the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, representing Ekiti Central Senatorial District.
Bamidele said the extension was necessary because the implementation of capital projects under the 2025 Appropriation Act had yet to reach the desired level despite the release of funds to the relevant MDAs.
The Senate subsequently considered the bill clause by clause before approving the extension of the capital component’s implementation period to December 31, 2026.
At the House of Representatives, lawmakers also approved the extension following a motion moved by the House Leader, Julius Ihonvbere.
The latest decision represents the fourth extension of the 2025 capital budget implementation period by the National Assembly.
The budget was originally scheduled to lapse on December 31, 2025, but the implementation period was subsequently extended to March 31, June 30 and September 30, 2026.
The repeated extensions were intended to enable the government to complete ongoing capital projects and settle outstanding financial commitments arising from the budget.
With the latest extension, funds appropriated for capital projects in the 2025 budget will remain available for implementation until December 31, 2026, subject to presidential assent.
The development comes despite the Federal Government’s earlier commitment to end the practice of overlapping budget cycles.
While presenting the 2026 Appropriation Bill in December 2025, President Bola Tinubu had said his administration would move away from multiple overlapping budget cycles and operate within a single revenue cycle.
The Presidency had previously explained that extensions of the 2025 budget were necessary to allow MDAs to consolidate ongoing projects, improve completion rates and ensure better value from public expenditure.
The Senate’s action also marked its first major legislative activity following its resumption from an extended recess.
READ ALSO
- Osun Food Scheme: Angry residents loot warehouse after operators disappear
- 2025 Budget: NASS extends capital spending deadline
- Workers threaten strike in October over petrol price, minimum wage
- 2027: Oyebanji, PDP’s Oluyede pledge Ekiti votes for Tinubu
- Tinubu returns to Nigeria after working vacation in France
The National Assembly had shifted its resumption date from September 15 to September 29 to allow rehabilitation work in the legislative chambers to be completed.
The latest extension gives MDAs an additional three months to execute capital projects and utilise funds appropriated under the 2025 budget.
