The Senate on Thursday approved a three-month extension for the implementation of the capital component of the 2025 Appropriation Act, moving the deadline from June 30 to September 30, 2026, in a move aimed at preventing project abandonment and ensuring full utilisation of already released public funds across Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
The decision followed a motion moved by Senate Minority Leader, Senator Tahir Monguno, and was adopted after lawmakers suspended Order 1(b) of the Senate Standing Rules to allow for immediate consideration of the request, underscoring the urgency attached to budget execution concerns.
Presenting the lead arguments in support of the extension, Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, explained that the adjustment had become necessary due to delays in project execution, procurement bottlenecks and administrative constraints that had slowed down implementation despite significant releases to MDAs.
He said, “The 2025 Appropriation Act was enacted to provide funding for the implementation of government programmes, projects and activities aimed at promoting economic growth, infrastructure development, national security and the welfare of Nigerians.
“Despite substantial releases made by the Federal Government to Ministries, Departments and Agencies for the execution of approved projects and programmes, a significant proportion of the first release remains unutilised due to procurement timelines, project implementation challenges and other administrative processes.”
Bamidele warned that failure to grant additional time for implementation could expose ongoing capital projects to abandonment, with attendant financial waste and disruption of government interventions already underway across key sectors.
“A number of strategic capital projects across critical sectors of the economy are at advanced stages of completion and require additional time for execution, certification and payment,” he said.
He further cautioned that, “Failure to extend the implementation period may result in the abandonment of critical projects, wastage of already committed public resources and disruption of ongoing government interventions.”
Following debate on the motion, Senate President Senator Godswill Akpabio put the proposal to a voice vote, which was overwhelmingly approved by lawmakers present.
The Senate thereafter resolved to support an amendment to the 2025 Appropriation Act extending the implementation period of the capital component by an additional 90 days.
Lawmakers who contributed to the debate argued that the extension would help improve budget performance, reduce waste in public expenditure and ensure that ongoing infrastructure and development projects are not stalled midway.
The chamber emphasised that the extension applies strictly to the capital component of the 2025 budget and is designed to enhance efficiency in project delivery, improve value for money and strengthen fiscal discipline in public spending.
The resolution will now be transmitted to the House of Representatives for concurrence before it becomes operational.
With the approval, MDAs now have up to September 30, 2026, to complete execution, certification and payment processes for capital projects captured under the 2025 Appropriation Act.