The House of Representatives has defended its recent decision to repeal and re‑enact the 2024 and 2025 Appropriation Acts, framing the move as a necessary step to improve budget implementation, transparency and fiscal discipline. Lawmakers explained that the revision was designed to align the country’s budgeting system with global best practices and to address execution challenges that had hindered capital release and project delivery.
In a statement, the Deputy Spokesperson of the House, Hon. Philip Agbese, said the re‑enacted budgets were crafted to enhance accountability at every level of government, reduce the oversight burden associated with overlapping budgets and simplify fiscal management. The revised framework also aims to transition Nigeria toward a single national budget cycle after March 31, 2026, which lawmakers argue will make execution smoother and more predictable for both the executive and legislative arms.
This defence comes as the National Assembly acted on bills transmitted by President Tinubu seeking legislative approval for the repeal and re‑enactment of the existing appropriation laws, including adjustments to total expenditure and extended implementation timelines to allow for better capital performance and cash flow management. Lawmakers hailed the legislative committee on appropriations for rapidly processing the bills ahead of the holiday recess, enabling continuity in budget oversight and planning.
Proponents of the approach say that consolidating the budgeting cycle and revising the Appropriation Acts will help end the practice of operating multiple concurrent budgets, a challenge that has historically complicated budget execution and diluted fiscal focus.
