By Nathaniel Zaccheaus, Abuja
The Senate on Tuesday extended the implementation of the capital component of the 2025 Appropriations Act to December 31, 2026, amid concerns over delayed payments and incomplete projects across the country.
The extension, the fourth, gives the Federal Government an additional three months to complete eligible projects and settle outstanding contractual obligations under the 2025 budget.
The decision followed sharp criticism of the centralised payment system domiciled in the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, which the Senate Chief Whip, Senator Tahir Monguno, blamed for contributing to delays in capital budget implementation.
Monguno warned that unless the policy was reviewed, the National Assembly could continue receiving requests from the Executive to extend the lifespan of annual budgets.
“So long as that system is not consigned to the dustbin of history, so shall we continue to have this ugly scenario of non-implementation of the budget,” he said.
He described the payment arrangement as “a cork in the wheel of implementation of the budget,” urging the Executive to review the policy.
The Senate passed the Appropriations Repeal and Enactment Act 2025 Amendment Bill 2026 after subjecting it to second and third readings on the same day.
The capital component of the 2025 budget was originally scheduled to expire on September 30, 2026.
Presenting the bill, Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, said the extension was necessary to allow Ministries, Departments and Agencies to complete projects for which funds had already been appropriated and released.
He said capital projects pass through several stages, including procurement, contract execution, mobilisation, certification and payment, requiring adequate time for effective coordination.
Bamidele warned that allowing the September 30 deadline to lapse could result in project abandonment and undermine value for money.
“The essence of this proposed extension is to provide the necessary legal and administrative window for ministries, departments and agencies of the Federal Government to fully implement capital projects for which appropriations have been made and funds released,” he said.
He stressed that the measure did not constitute a fresh appropriation but merely extended the implementation window for existing appropriations.
“The bill does not seek to introduce a new appropriation. Rather, it seeks to provide additional time within the existing legislative framework,” Bamidele said.
He, however, warned Ministries, Departments and Agencies against treating the extension as a relaxation of accountability, fiscal responsibility or legislative oversight.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, also defended the extension, saying it would help prevent the abandonment of projects nationwide.
According to him, several contractors had either not completed their projects or had not received full payment under the 2025 Appropriations Act.
“It is not good for us to have abandoned projects littered across the nation since most contractors have not either completed their jobs or have been fully paid,” Akpabio said.
He urged the Executive to use the additional period to settle outstanding obligations and ensure that ongoing projects reached stages where Nigerians could benefit from them.
The bill, SB 1067, was referred to the Committee of Supply for clause-by-clause consideration before the Senate adopted the committee’s report and passed it.
The extension allows the Executive and relevant MDAs to implement eligible capital projects and utilise funds already appropriated and released, subject to existing laws and legislative oversight.
Meanwhile, the Senate President warned politicians preparing for the 2027 general elections against violence, intimidation and divisive campaigns.
Akpabio, who spoke as the Senate resumed plenary after its recess, urged candidates to present their programmes to Nigerians and allow voters to make their choices freely.
“No electoral prize is worth a Nigerian life. No victory deserves celebration if it leaves the nation wounded,” he said.
He also urged politicians to avoid rhetoric capable of setting communities, religious groups or regions against one another.
“Let every candidate make a case and answer hard questions. Let every citizen be free to decide,” he said.
Akpabio also expressed concern over insecurity, including kidnappings during the legislative recess, and urged security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue captives and protect vulnerable communities.
“So long as a single Nigerian languishes in captivity, a part of Nigeria is held captive,” he said.
On the economy, he urged the Senate to scrutinise government reforms and economic indicators against the realities facing households, unemployed graduates and struggling businesses.
“They will judge our efforts by what changes in their lives,” Akpabio said.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu transmitted several executive communications to the Senate, including the 2026 Statutory Budget Proposal of the Niger Delta Development Commission.
The proposed NDDC budget focuses on youth empowerment, power supply, education, healthcare, security, enterprise development and agricultural productivity.
The President also forwarded nominations to the Fiscal Responsibility Commission, including Dr Abdullahi Maikano Saidu as chairman, and nominated Engineer Sani Ndanusa as non-career ambassador and high commissioner to The Gambia.
Other communications included the nomination of Engineer Wakili Bukar to the Federal Civil Service Commission, the National Postgraduate Medical College Amendment Bill 2026 and the National Research and Development Fund Establishment Bill 2026.
The latter seeks to consolidate fragmented research funds into a unified competitive funding mechanism while promoting collaboration among research institutions, academia and the private sector.
The Senate also noted President Tinubu’s assent to the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria Amendment Bill 2026, which has now become law.
Akpabio urged lawmakers to return to legislative duties with renewed commitment to national development.
“Let us campaign with honour, debate with conviction and serve with humility. We have returned to this Chamber because Nigeria’s work continues,” he said.
