House Begins 2025 Budget Defence Today

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

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

President Bola Tinubu 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 the Appropriations Committee with all Standing Committees as sub-committees for further legislative action.

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

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

Bichi 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 31.

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

“From tomorrow (today) to 17th we are going to do our budget defence and we will likely harmonise on the 22nd (January) and, God 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 legislature would scrutinise the proposed budgetary expenditure, revenues and other issues contained in the 2025 Appropriation Bill.

He said, “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.”