The Senate and the House of Representatives voted on Tuesday to extend implementation of the capital component of the 2025 Appropriation Act for a fourth time, moving the deadline from 30th September to 31st December 2026.
The legislative decision ensures that funds allocated for capital projects under the 2025 budget will remain accessible to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) until the end of the year, subject to Presidential assent.
During plenary on the Senate’s first day back following an extended legislative recess for chamber rehabilitation works, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele introduced the amendment bill. He explained that despite fund releases, capital project execution across MDAs had not yet reached optimal performance, stating that the legislation seeks “to enable Ministries, Departments and Agencies to complete ongoing projects and utilise appropriated funds.”
Bamidele presented “A Bill for an Act to Amend the Appropriations (Repeal & Enactment) Act 2025 to Extend the Implementation of the Capital Aspect of the Appropriations (Repeal & Enactment) Act 2025 from 30th September, 2026 to 31st December, 2026 (SB. 1067).”
Simultaneously, the House of Representatives approved the three-month rollover following a motion brought by House Leader Julius Ihonvbere. Parliament had previously pushed back the original 31st December 2025 deadline to 31st March, then to 30th June, and most recently to 30th September 2026 to enable the government to fulfill outstanding financial obligations and conclude ongoing works.
The latest extension comes despite previous commitments by the administration to align federal spending with a single calendar cycle. While laying the 2026 Appropriation Bill in December 2025, President Bola Tinubu pledged that the government would move away from “multiple overlapping budget cycles” and operate strictly within a single revenue cycle.
Defending the previous extensions in April, the Presidency maintained that rolling over capital implementation was necessary to improve project completion rates, consolidate ongoing infrastructure developments, and secure maximum value for public funds.