UNITY TIMES POLITICAL DESK
The National Assembly has approved another extension of the implementation period for the capital component of Nigeria’s 2025 Appropriation Act, moving the deadline from September 30 to December 31, 2026. The latest extension is the fourth since the original 2025 budget implementation timetable was altered.
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The Senate and House of Representatives both approved the extension after President Tinubu requested additional time for Ministries, Departments and Agencies to complete ongoing capital projects and utilise appropriated funds.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele said the extension would allow government to complete projects for which funds had already been released, sustain economic activity and ensure that critical infrastructure was not abandoned.
The House Majority Leader, Julius Ihonvbere, similarly argued that economic pressures and implementation challenges had slowed capital expenditure.
Four deadlines in one budget cycle
The repeated extensions tell an important story about Nigeria’s budget implementation problem. The original capital implementation deadline was December 31, 2025.
It was subsequently moved to:
- March 31, 2026
- June 30, 2026
- September 30, 2026
- and now December 31, 2026.
The government and lawmakers argue that the extensions are necessary to prevent the abandonment of projects already underway. But the repeated adjustments also raise questions about fiscal planning, project execution and the effectiveness of Nigeria’s budget calendar.
The development is particularly important because President Tinubu had previously expressed an intention to end overlapping budget cycles and establish a more predictable fiscal framework.
The latest extension effectively gives federal agencies another three months to spend and execute capital allocations contained in the 2025 budget.
For Nigerians waiting for roads, hospitals, schools, water projects and other infrastructure, the critical question is no longer simply whether funds have been appropriated, but whether the projects will actually be completed.
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