Senate Extends 2025 Budget Implementation to December 31

The Senate has approved a further extension of the implementation period for the capital component of the 2025 Appropriation Act, moving the deadline from September 30 to December 31, 2026.

The extension followed the passage of the Appropriations (Repeal and Enactment) Act 2025 Amendment Bill 2026, sponsored by the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central), after clause-by-clause consideration by the chamber on Tuesday.

The bill, numbered SB 1067, seeks to amend the 2025 Appropriation Act to give Ministries, Departments and Agencies an additional three months to complete ongoing capital projects and utilise funds already appropriated and released.

Moving the bill, Bamidele said the extension was necessary because the implementation of capital projects under the 2025 budget had not reached optimal levels despite the release of funds to MDAs.

He said allowing the existing deadline to lapse could affect projects that were already at various stages of execution and increase the risk of abandoned or uncompleted projects.

The latest extension represents the third adjustment to the implementation timeline of the 2025 capital budget. The National Assembly had earlier extended the deadline from March 31 to June 30, 2026, and subsequently to September 30, 2026, citing the need to complete ongoing projects and meet outstanding obligations.

The new deadline means that appropriated funds under the capital component of the 2025 budget will remain available for implementation until December 31, subject to presidential assent.

The Senate’s decision also comes against the backdrop of the Federal Government’s stated intention to move away from overlapping budget cycles. President Bola Tinubu had, while presenting the 2026 Appropriation Bill in December 2025, pledged that the government would work towards operating within a single revenue and budget cycle.

The government had nevertheless justified previous extensions on the grounds that additional time was required for MDAs to consolidate ongoing projects, improve completion rates and maximise value from public expenditure.

The Senate’s approval came on the first day of its resumed plenary following an extended legislative recess. The National Assembly had shifted its resumption from September 15 to September 29 to allow rehabilitation work in the legislative chambers to be completed.

With the latest amendment, the 2025 capital budget will remain open for implementation for another three months beyond the September 30 deadline.