Sunusi Yakubu.
The Nigerian Senate has approved a three-month extension for the implementation of the 2025 budget, moving the deadline to September 30, 2026. The decision was taken to prevent the truncation of ongoing capital projects across the country.
Lawmakers said the extension will allow Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, to complete projects that are still at various stages of execution. They noted that without the extension, many projects would remain abandoned due to the expiration of the original budget cycle. The Senate explained that delays in fund releases, procurement processes, and other bureaucratic bottlenecks were responsible for the slow pace of implementation. Extending the deadline, it said, will ensure value for money and protect public investment.
The approval aligns with similar extensions granted in previous years to address gaps between budget approval and actual project delivery. The Senate urged MDAs to fast-track work on priority projects and submit progress reports before the new deadline.
