The House of Representatives will begin the 2025 budget defence session with Ministries, Departments, and Agencies today (Tuesday) January 7, 2025.
According to the Chairman of the Committee on Appropriations, Abubakar Bichi, the harmonisation of reports from the exercise will take place on Wednesday, January 22, 2025. The Committee is expected to lay its report in a special session set for January 31.
Bichi made the announcement in an interview with journalists following the inaugural meeting of the committee on Monday.
The 2025 Appropriation Bill, which President Bola Tinubu presented to the National Assembly on December 18, 2024, amounts to N49.74 trillion.
The House passed the proposed budget on December 19, 2024, after a second reading, and referred it to the Appropriations Committee and all Standing Committees as sub-committees for further legislative input.
Bichi assured Nigerians that the budget defence would be carried out in their best interest, stating, “We just had the inauguration meeting today for the 2025 Appropriation Bill. You are all aware that the President has presented the budget to us and by tomorrow, January 7, we will start the budget defence with all the MDAs.”
The budget defence will run from January 7 to January 17, and the harmonisation process is scheduled for January 22. The final report will be laid by January 31.
“We are going to study the budget (proposal). All our committees will study it. I believe the budget is for Nigerians, for our development – infrastructure and other important things, and I am sure Nigerians will be happy with it,” Bichi added.
He also reaffirmed the parliament’s commitment to thoroughly scrutinising the proposed budgetary expenditures, revenues, and other key elements of the 2025 Appropriation Bill.