Federal Lawmakers returned from their six-week vacation yesterday and proceeded on two weeks recess after the day’s plenary.
But, on that day, the lawmakers were busy like bees.
They received correspondences from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and did a review which led to the roll-over of the capital vote component of Budget 2025 till December 31.
The requests from the President were read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio and House of Representatives Speaker Abbas Tajudeen during their separate sessions.
The requests ranged from consideration of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) 2026 Budget, passage of two bills, consideration of an ambassador-nominee and consideration of appointments into the Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC) and Federal Civil Service Commission.
The three-month extension of the capital vote of budget 2025, according to both chambers of the Assembly-Senate and House of Representatives- is to prevent the abandonment of ongoing projects and ensure effective use of funds already appropriated and released for projects.
The passage of the Appropriations Repeal and Enactment Act 2025 (Amendment) Bill 2026, after its second and third readings, is the fourth time the implementation timeline is being extended.
The National Assembly first extended the capital implementation timeline from the original expiration date of December 31, 2025, to March 31, 2026. It was again moved to June 30, 2026, and later to September 30, 2026.
The bill passed through second and third readings the same day, following worries that many Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) were yet to fully use funds released for capital projects for last year.
The Senate’s decision came after its Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, in his lead debate, said capital budget implementation involved several processes, including procurement, contract execution, mobilisation, certification of works and payment, which needed to be properly coordinated before projects could be completed.
He argued that allowing today’s deadline to lapse without an extension could create difficulties for MDAs seeking to complete projects already at advanced stages of implementation.
‘Mr President, the essence of this proposed extension is to provide the necessary legal and administrative window for ministries, departments and agencies of the Federal Government to fully implement capital projects for which appropriations have been made and funds released,’ he said.
The Senate Leader further explained that a significant amount of capital funds released to MDAs remained unutilised, stressing that the proposed extension was designed to prevent resources already appropriated and released from being wasted.
‘Allowing the current implementation deadline to lapse without providing additional time could create avoidable difficulties for MDAs in completing projects for which resources have already been appropriated and released,’ he said.
He added that several critical infrastructure and development projects across the country were at different stages of completion and could suffer if the statutory implementation period expired before they were concluded.
‘Allowing such projects to stop or remain incomplete merely because of the expiration of the current statutory implementation period could have serious implications for value for money and could further contribute to the proliferation of abandoned or uncompleted projects,’ he said.
The Senate Leader stressed that the extension would not amount to a fresh appropriation, but would merely create additional time within the existing legislative framework for the implementation of the capital component of the 2025 budget.
He also cautioned MDAs against interpreting the extension as a relaxation of accountability requirements, insisting that all expenditure during the extended period must comply with existing financial and procurement regulations.
Bamidele said: ‘The MDAs must continue to ensure that all expenditures arising from the extended implementation period are made strictly in accordance with the Appropriation Act, extant financial regulations, procurement laws and other applicable statutes.’
Senate Chief Whip Tahir Monguno specifically blamed the centralised payment system domiciled in the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation for contributing to delays in budget execution.
Monguno urged the Executive to review the policy, arguing that unless the centralised payment arrangement was reconsidered, the National Assembly might continue to be confronted with requests to extend the lifespan of budgets.
Monguno said, ‘So long as that system is not consigned to the dustbin of history, so long shall we continue to have this ugly scenario of non-implementation of the budget, necessitating the National Assembly to extend the lifespan of the budget.
‘I think there is a need for the Executive to have a look at this policy that has continued to constitute a cog in the wheel of implementation of the budget.”
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, after the passage, thanked senators for their contributions and described the extension as necessary to prevent the proliferation of abandoned projects across the country.
In the House, Majority Leader, Julius Ihonvbere, told members that economic challenges were negatively affecting the implementation of the capital component of the budget.
Following his argument, the members fast-tracked the bill’s consideration.
Consideration of NDDC 2026 estimates
In a letter seeking approval for NDDC’s 2026 budget, President Tinubu said the financial estimates were based on the commission’s revenue and expenditure forecasts.
He added that the budget aligns with the fiscal and developmental policies of the Federal Government and the Renewed Hope Agenda.
The President said the proposal also took into consideration the 2024-2026 Economic Recovery Growth Plan and key assumptions of the 2026 Appropriation Act of the Federal Government.
According to him, the NDDC is prioritising youth empowerment, energy and power supply, education, industrial and enterprise development, health, security and increased agricultural productivity, with the aim of lifting a significant number of citizens out of poverty.
The President, whose letter did not indicate the budget sum, expressed hope that the lawmakers would pass the estimates expeditiously.
President wants ambassadorial, FCC nominees cleared
The two bills the President sought their passage in another letter are the Postgraduate Medical College Amendment Bill, 2026 and the National Research and Development(R and D) Fund Establishment Bill, 2026,
The medical college proposed Bill seeks to rename the institution and expanding its mandate to award doctoral degrees in clinical medicine, dentistry and related fields.
That of the R and D Fund is designed to consolidate fragmented research funds across ministries, departments and agencies into a single competitive funding mechanism under the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology..
On the National Postgraduate Medical College Bill, the President explained that ‘the Federal Minister of Justice had vetted and finalised the Bill in line with drafting standards and constitutional provisions..
The President also said the R and D Fund Bill was designed to consolidate research financing and improve the utilisation of resources by bringing fragmented research and development funds across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) into a National Research Development Fund.
He stated that the fund would serve as a central mechanism through which research agencies and academic institutions could access funding.
According to Tinubu, the proposed fund will operate as a competitive central funding mechanism to foster collaboration among research agencies, academia and the private sector.
He said it would also support innovation, streamline resource allocation according to national priorities, promote transparency in funding decisions and drive the commercialisation of locally developed technology to reduce dependence on foreign technology.
The bill, Tinubu added, would establish the National Research Development Fund as an agency under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, with direct funding from the Nigeria Content Development Fund (NCDF).
He said the proposed legislation was necessary because of the proliferation of research institutes and agencies operating in the research, development and commercialisation space, with separate mandates and budgetary allocations.
The President stated that the bill seeks to promote effective management of the limited financial resources available to research institutes and agencies for the development of science, technology and innovation.
He added that the bill was reviewed and vetted by relevant stakeholders, including the Ministries of Education, Innovation, Science and Technology, and Justice, to ensure alignment with national education objectives, scientific innovation priorities and existing legal and institutional frameworks.
The President urged the Senate and House to consider and pass the two bills.
In a third letter, Tinubu also invoked Section 5(3) of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC) Act, 2007, and asked the Senate to confirm Abdullahi Maikano Saidu as chairman of the commission’s board alongside Mohammed Asmau, Mohammed Aliyu Makama, and Suleiman Gidado as members
‘I hope that the Senate will consider and confirm the nominees in its usual expeditious manner,’ the President wrote.
His letter was subsequently referred to the Committee on Finance after it was read by Akpabio to members for consideration within two weeks.
The President also nominated Sani Ndanusa as non-career Ambassador and High Commissioner to The Gambia, under Section 171(2)(c) and (4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
The Senate referred the nomination to the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
President presented also Wakili Bukar for confirmation as a member of the Federal Civil Service Commission, representing Bauchi, Borno and Yobe states, for a second and final five-year term.
The request was referred to the Committee on Establishment.
After the deliberations, both chambers adjourned till October 13.