The National Assembly has made significant corrections to the 2025 budget, adjusting allocations to federal ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) in response to identified errors.
The changes include a reduction of N500 billion in the initial Capital Expenditure and an increase of N500 billion in the Recurrent (Non-Debt) Expenditure. These adjustments will ensure that the total budget remains unchanged at N54.9 trillion, despite changes in individual line items.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Adeola Olamilekan, sponsored the motion to amend the budget, which the Committee debated yesterday in Abuja.
The key amendments included an increase in Recurrent Expenditure, which was raised from N13 trillion to N13.5 trillion, while Capital Expenditure was reduced from N23.9 trillion to N23.4 trillion.
LEADERSHIP reports that the National Assembly had initially passed the budget on February 13, increasing President Bola Tinubu’s proposal from N54.2 trillion to N54.9 trillion, marking an upward revision of about N750 billion.
The earlier approved budget included N3.6 trillion for Statutory Transfers, N14.3 trillion for Debt Service, N23.9 trillion for Capital Expenditure, and N13.8 trillion for the Fiscal Deficit.
However, a review of the budget revealed errors in certain allocations, prompting the amendments.
Senator Olamilekan recommended that the adjustments would not affect the overall budget figure, but to correct discrepancies in the allocation for specific ministries.
President Tinubu has yet to give his assent to the revised budget.
Among the significant changes, allocations for some ministries were revised. The Ministry of Defence saw a slight reduction in its allocation, from N2.51 trillion to N2.49 trillion, while the Ministry of Police Affairs was adjusted from N1.225 trillion to N1.224 trillion.
Pension allocations received a notable increase, with Total Pensions, Gratuity, and Retirement Benefits rising from N950 billion to N1.44 trillion. Military Pensions and Gratuities were also adjusted upward from N252.6 billion to N383.9 billion.
On the Capital Expenditure side, adjustments included a reduction in the Presidency’s allocation from N144.4 billion to N142.7 billion, a decrease in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security from N1.95 trillion to N1.83 trillion, a decrease the Federal Ministry of Education from N953.9 billion to N944.6 billion, and a decrease in the Federal Ministry of Education, from N953.9 billion to N944.6 billion.
Senator Olamilekan’s motion is set to be deliberated further and, if passed, these corrections will be reflected in the final version of the 2025 Appropriation Bill.
Reps Correct Errors In 2025 Budget
Similarly, the House of Representatives has corrected the errors inherent in the recurrent (non-debt) component of the N54.99trillion 2025 appropriation bill passed on Thursday.
This followed the adoption of a motion on the revision of the appropriation bill moved by the chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, Hon. Francis Waive (APC, Delta) at plenary on Tuesday.
Moving the motion, Waive said the 2025 Appropriation Bill had been passed by both the House and the Senate on February 13, 2025.
However, he said during the final cleaning and realignment process of the bill, the Joint Committee on Appropriations identified errors in the allocations that required urgent rectification.
The lawmaker said the total budget still stands at N54.99 trillion, including a statutory transfer of N3.64 trillion and debt servicing of N14.32 trillion.
He said following the correction, the Recurrent (Non-Debt) Expenditure was increased from N13.06 trillion to N13.59 trillion, while the Capital Expenditure was reduced from N23.96 trillion to N23.44 trillion.
Following the approval of the motion, the report of the adjusted budget was presented by the House Leader, Prof Julius Ihonvbere after which it was committed to the Committee of Supply and passed.
Some of the key adjustments include: Ministry of Defence revised from N2.51 trillion to N2.49 trillion; Ministry of Police Affairs adjusted from N1.225 trillion to N1.224 trillion and total Pensions, Gratuity, and Retirement Benefits increased from N950 billion to N1.44 trillion.
Others are Military Pensions and Gratuities adjusted from N252.6 billion to N383.9 billion;
National Pension Commission (PENCOM) increased from N529.4 billion naira to N804.7 billion.
