The Senate on Thursday approved a three-month extension for the implementation of the capital component of the 2025 Appropriation Act, shifting the deadline from June 30 to September 30, 2026, in a move aimed at preventing project abandonment and ensuring full utilisation of already released funds across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
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 enable immediate consideration of the request, underscoring the urgency surrounding budget implementation concerns.
Leading the debate in support of the extension, Senate Leader Senator Opeyemi Bamidele said the adjustment became necessary due to delays in project execution, procurement bottlenecks and administrative constraints that had slowed implementation despite substantial 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 could lead to the abandonment of ongoing capital projects, resulting in financial waste and disruption of government interventions 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 added 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 deliberations, Senate President Godswill Akpabio put the motion to a voice vote, which was overwhelmingly approved by lawmakers present.
The Senate subsequently 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 supported the motion said the extension would improve budget performance, reduce wastage in public expenditure and ensure continuity of ongoing infrastructure and development projects.
The chamber stressed that the extension applies strictly to the capital component of the 2025 budget and is intended to enhance efficiency in project delivery, improve value for money and strengthen fiscal discipline.
The resolution will now be transmitted to the House of Representatives for concurrence before it becomes operational.
With the approval, MDAs now have until September 30, 2026, to complete execution, certification and payment processes for capital projects under the 2025 Appropriation Act.
