House Begins 2025 Budget Defence Tuesday 

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The House of Representatives will commence the 2025 budget defence session with Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) on Tuesday.

President Bola Tinubu had recently presented the N49.74 trillion 2025 appropriation Bill before a joint session of the National Assembly. 

Subsequently, the House passed the budget through second reading on December 19, 2024 and referred it to its Appropriations Committee with all standing committees as sub-committees for further legislative action.

However, report from the exercise is expected to be harmonised on January 22, while the Appropriations Committee’s report would be laid at plenary on January 31st.

But the Chairman, House Committee on Appropriations, Hon. Abubakar Bichi, while speaking with journalists on Monday after the committee’s inaugural meeting, revealed that the budget defence would last till January 17.

He stressed that reports from the exercise might be harmonised on January 22, while the Appropriations Committee’s report would be laid at plenary on January 31st.

Bichi stated: “We just had the inaugural meeting today for the 2025 Appropriation Bill, which you have been aware that the president has presented the budget to us and by tomorrow, we will start the budget defence with all the MDAs. 

“From tomorrow to 17th, we are going to do our budget defence and we will likely harmonise on the 22nd and God’s willing by 31st we are going to lay our reports. 

“We are going to study the budget; all our committees will study the budget. I believe the budget is for Nigerians, for our development — infrastructure and other important things — and I am sure Nigerians will be happy with it.”

Bichi added that the parliament would scrutinise the proposed budgetary expenditure, revenues and other issues contained in the 2025 Appropriation Bill presented to the National Assembly by President Tinubu.

According to him, “We just had an integration meeting today for the 2025 appropriation bills which you have been aware that the president has presented the budget to us and by tomorrow, we’ll start the budget defence by all the MDAs from tomorrow to the 17th. We are going to do our budget defence and we will likely harmonize by 22nd.

“But what we do first, we complete our reports. Now we are going to study the budget, all our committees will study the budget and I believe the budget is for Nigerians, it’s for development infrastructures and other important things and I’m sure Nigeria will be happy with it.”