‘Restoration Budget’ in Focus as MDAs Face Reps Tuesday

 

The House of Representatives will commence the defence of the 2025 Appropriation Bill by Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) on Tuesday, January 7, 2025.

This was disclosed by the Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation, Hon. Abubakar Bichi, on Monday after a strategic meeting with chairpersons of statutory committees at the National Assembly.

Bichi emphasized the House’s commitment to ensuring the timely passage of the budget, stating that the legislative body aims to conclude deliberations and approve the budget by the end of January 2025.

It will be recalled that on December 18, 2024, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu presented a ₦49.7 trillion Budget Proposal for 2025 before a joint session of the National Assembly.

The budget, themed “The Restoration Budget: Securing Peace, Building Prosperity,” prioritizes security and defence, infrastructure, health, and education.

In his 30-minute address, President Tinubu highlighted key allocations, including ₦4.91 trillion for defence and security, ₦4.06 trillion for infrastructure, ₦2.4 trillion for health, and ₦3.5 trillion for education, among others.

“It is with great pleasure that I lay before this distinguished joint session of the National Assembly, the 2025 Budget of Nigeria, titled The Restoration Budget—securing peace, building prosperity,” Tinubu declared during the presentation.

The defence sessions are expected to feature critical scrutiny of MDAs’ spending proposals to ensure alignment with national priorities and efficient resource utilization.

The 2025 Appropriation Bill is projected to bolster efforts in economic recovery, infrastructural development, and enhanced service delivery in critical sectors, as the government continues its drive to restore stability and prosperity to Nigeria.