Senate Targets March 17 for ₦58.47trn 2026 Budget Passage
By Raphael Ekpang
Abuja (Core Reporters) The senate committee on Appropriation has set March 17, 2026, as the date for final consideration and passage of the ₦58.472 trillion 2026 budget. The Committee on Appropriations has begun reviewing the budget estimates, with public hearings scheduled for February 9, 2026.
This was made known during the committee’s meeting where its rolled out timetable for the consideration and passage of the 2026 Appropriation Bill,
Briefing journalists after a roundtable session with committee members and Subcommittee Chairmen, the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeoye stated that the timetable had earlier been reviewed and endorsed by the Committee on Appropriation and subsequently amended to reflect key milestones in the budget process.
Recall that the 2026 Draft Budget was formally presented to the National Assembly by the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces on 19 December 2025, while the second reading and debate on the general principles of the Appropriation Bill took place on 23 December 2025.
The Committee disclosed that the production and distribution of budget documents, both hard and soft copies, has commenced. Soft copies are being circulated to all Standing Committees and Subcommittee Chairmen, while hard copies will be delivered to committees and their secretariats.
Budget defence sessions and engagements with Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), professionals, indigenous entities, and other stakeholders are scheduled to run from early February through late February 2026. A key highlight of the process is a briefing by the President’s Economic Team to the Appropriation Committee on 6 February 2026, focusing on the 2026 budget proposal, economic policy direction, and the performance of the 2025 budget.
The Committee also announced that a public hearing on the 2026 Appropriation Bill will hold on 9th February 2026, under the theme:
“From Budget to Impact: Strengthening Macroeconomic Stability, Accelerating Infrastructure Delivery, and Improving Security through Fiscal Discipline and Effective Implementation.”
Subcommittee Chairmen are expected to submit and defend their reports between 16 and 23 February 2026, after which the Appropriation Committee will collate and harmonize the reports from 24 February to 15 March 2026.
The final report of the Appropriation Committee will be presented to the Senate on 17 March 2026, with the expectation that the 2026 Appropriation Bill will be passed into law on the same date.
The Committee reaffirmed that beginning in 2026, Nigeria will operate a single fiscal year budget, with no extensions of previous budgets, effective 1 April 2026.
The Chairman of the appropriation committee, Senator Yayi, expressed confidence that, with the cooperation of all stakeholders, the National Assembly will deliver a budget that promotes economic growth, strengthens security, and improves the welfare of
