The two chambers of the National Assembly (NASS) have extended the implementation of the 2023 Appropriation Act and the N2.17 trillion 2023 supplementary budget to December 31, 2024.
The Senate took the decision yesterday at an emergency session. The new deadline for implementing both budgets is December 31, 2024, instead of the previous deadline of June 30, 2024.
President Tinubu requested the extension, and the Senate supported the request. After the budgets were read three times, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the extension during the plenary.
This is the second time the implementation of the 2023 budget and its capital components has been extended since President Bola Tinubu’s administration began.
In March, the Senate extended the implementation until June 30, 2024. The extension aims to ensure ongoing projects are completed in the budgets.
Senate leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, highlighted the importance of avoiding abandoned projects and urged his colleagues to support the extension.
The minority leader, Abba Moro, and Senate chief whip, Ali Ndume, supported the extension, emphasising the need to complete ongoing capital projects. Orji Uzor Kalu acknowledged the existence of many uncompleted projects and urged his colleagues to focus on completing them, disregarding criticism of the extension.
