Budget Passage of ₦58.47tn Set For March 17, 2026, Senate Said

The Senate has fixed March 17, 2026, for the final consideration and passage of the ₦58.47 trillion 2026 Appropriation Bill. Lawmakers have intensified scrutiny of the federal government’s spending plans amid ongoing debates over fiscal sustainability and economic reforms.

The decision was taken on Friday at a special meeting of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, chaired by Senator Solomon Adeola of Ogun West. The move follows President Bola Tinubu’s presentation of the budget to a joint session of the National Assembly on December 19, 2025.

Under the timetable approved by the committee, budget defence sessions by ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) will be held at the committee level between February 2 and February 13. A public hearing on the budget has been scheduled for February 9, providing an opportunity for stakeholders, civil society groups and industry experts to contribute to the review process.

Adeola said Professor Wasiu Adeoye of the University of Lagos will deliver an independent economic analysis of the budget at the public hearing, a step lawmakers say is aimed at strengthening transparency and evidence-based decision-making.

An interactive session between members of the Appropriations Committee and key federal government economic managers has also been fixed for March 5. Expected to appear are the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun; the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Atiku Bagudu; and other senior officials involved in economic planning and implementation.

Reports from Senate standing committees on their respective budget defence exercises are to be submitted between February 16 and February 23, after which the Appropriations Committee will harmonise the inputs and prepare a final report for presentation to the full Senate on March 17.

The latest timetable builds on recent legislative moves in both chambers to tighten oversight of the 2026 spending plan. Earlier this week, the House of Representatives resumed plenary with a pledge to subject the budget estimates to rigorous scrutiny, while also advancing work on amendments to the Electoral Act.

The Senate, meanwhile, has been balancing budget work with other legislative business, including the constitution of committees on electoral reforms and tributes to late lawmakers.

According to Adeola, Senate leadership had initially proposed March 12 for the passage of the budget but extended the deadline by one week to allow for more thorough examination of the estimates.

He added that printed copies of the 2026 budget have been distributed to chairmen and members of standing committees to facilitate detailed review.

The committee adopted the timetable following a motion moved by Senator Adamu Aliero of Kebbi Central and seconded by Senator Orji Uzor Kalu of Abia North.

President Tinubu has described the 2026 budget, titled “Budget of Consolidation, Renewed Resilience and Shared Prosperity,” as a framework for sustaining macroeconomic stability, boosting competitiveness and delivering inclusive growth.