Legislature
Senate turns down bill seeking to establish foreign exchange Market in Nigeria
The Senate has declined to approve a Bill seeking to establish a foreign exchange market in Nigeria.
The bill sponsored by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Sani Musa (APC Niger East), also sought to make provisions for the control, monitoring and supervision of transactions conducted in the Foreign Exchange Market.
The proposed law entitled, “The Foreign Exchange (Control And Monitoring) Bill, 2024 (SB. 353) was read for the first time on Tuesday, February 20, 2024.
Presenting his Lead debate, Musa described the bill as an important legislation that seeks to repeal the Foreign Exchange (Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provision) Act, Cap. F34, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Musa indicated that the proposed law would provide for the regulation, monitoring and supervision of the transactions conducted in the market and for related matters.
According to him, it would also contribute to the sound development of the National economy by striving to facilitate foreign transactions and maintain an equilibrium of balance of International payments.
He said, “The Bill seeks to stabilize the value of currency by ensuring the liberalization of foreign exchange transactions to maintain an equilibrium of balance of International payments.
“It will also stabilise the value of currency by ensuring the liberalization of foreign exchange transactions and of other foreign transactions by revitalizing
market functionality.
“The Bill attempts to expand Section (1) of the existing Act to incorporate three new provisions to make for clarity and to empower the Central Bank of Nigeria
to administer, control and manage all dealings and transactions in relation to foreign exchange matters.
“The newly introduced clauses will enable the CBN to determine the basic exchange rate of purchase and sale of foreign exchange.
“Clause 6 of the Bill introduces New Sub-clauses (2), (4) and (5) which require authorised dealers to render returns to the CBN on sources of foreign exchange in excess of USD 10,000 and utilisation of same.
“It also requires authorized dealers obtain prior approval of the CBN when seeking to import foreign currency notes.
“Part Ill of the Bill makes elaborate provisions for the grant of a licence to carry on business dealings in foreign exchange. In this part, provisions were made for refusal of licence, suspension or revocation of licence, review and appeal.
“Clause 18 (1) (a) and (b) were added to expand the scope of dealers in the market and where funds are purchased from the Bank. The market rate may be subject to rules and regulations prescribed by the Bank.”
Musa added that with the bill, the operation of domiciliary account shall be as prescribed by the Bank and that the powers of the CBN have been widened to prescribe how foreign exchange may be accepted for the payment for goods and services in Nigeria.
The Bill when passed into law, according to Musa, will contribute to sound development of national economy, facilitate foreign transactions and most importantly, and stabilize the value of the currency by ensuring the liberalization of foreign transactions and revitalizing market functionality.
Most senators in their various contributions expressed the fears that a fresh legislation seeking to monitor or control the activities of the foreign exchange market apart from what the CBN was doing, could be counter productive.
Some of the senators who expressed serious reservations over the proposed law are, Solomon Adeola (Appropriation Committee Chairman); Tokunbo Abiru (Chairman, Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions panel; and Aliyu Wadada (Chairman, Senate Public Account Committee) among others
For instance, a former accountant general of the Federation who is now the senator representing Gombe North, Ibrahim Dankwambo, noted that the law, if passed would confuse Nigerians.
He was of the opinion that any further law aimed at regulating the foreign exchange market should come from the executive arm of government to avoid crisis in the sector.
Also contributing, the Senator Adams Oshiomhole, said, “we have to be careful because we cannot speculate. Anything done in this house, Nigerians will take it very seriously, because we have the power to make laws.
“Senators who have spoken, had summarized and amplified meticulously, the contradictions and negative implications of passing the law
“I believe that the Bill should not attract further hearing because we are trying to take over the monetary policy regulations of the CBN of we go ahead with it.
“If the executive arm of government likes, let them bring a Bill to further strengthen the regulatory powers of the CBN. It is not our work.”
The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, who presided over the session, urged Musa to withdraw the proposed law for further consultations but the senator refused to do so.
Akpabio called for voice vote to determine it’s approval or rejection for second reading and majority of the federal lawmakers voted against it.
***Allocates N23.96 Trillion for Capital Projects, N14.31 Trillion for Debt Servicing
The Nigerian Senate along with the House of Represebtatives have passed the 2025 Appropriation Bill, approving a record-breaking budget of N54,990,165,355,396 to finance government activities in the coming fiscal year.
The budget, titled A Bill for an Act to Authorise the Issue from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation, was approved after deliberations on its allocations and implications for economic growth, debt management, and infrastructure development.
The chairman of the National Assemble Godswill Akpabio who is also the President of the Senate gave the beakdown of the 2025 Budget to show that Statutory Transfers: ₦3.65 trillion, debt Servicing: ₦14.32 trillion, Recurrent (Non-Debt) Expenditure: ₦13.06 trillion and
Capital Expenditure: ₦23.96 trillion
The largest chunk of the budget, ₦23.96 trillion, was allocated for capital expenditure, aimed at infrastructure development, healthcare, education, and security.
This signals the government’s commitment to addressing Nigeria’s infrastructural deficit.
However, the ₦14.32 trillion earmarked for debt servicing highlights the country’s rising debt burden, sparking concerns over long-term financial sustainability.
With the National Assembly approval, the budget now awaits President Bola Tinubu’s assent, after which implementation will begin. Analysts predict a challenging fiscal year, balancing economic growth with prudent spending and debt repayment.
However, time will tell whether the historic budget will deliver on its promises, or economic realities force adjustments down the line?
***Says addittional fund is to Prioritize Infrastructure, Health, Economic Growth
The chairman of the senate committee on Appropriation Senator Adeola Solomon Olamilekan has explained the approval of the 2025 Appropriation Bill by the national Assembly which it increased from N49.7 trillion to N54.99 trillion—the highest in the nation’s history.
The adjustment followed legislative reviews that uncovered additional revenues from key government agencies.
While explaining the Budget Expansion and Revenue Sources Olamilekan indicated that the additional N4.99 trillion was sourced from Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and Government-Owned Enterprises (GOEs)
These he said led to an increase in funding for critical sectors, including N1.5 trillion for Bank of Agriculture, N500 billion for Bank of Industry, 1 trillion for Ministry of Solid Minerals, N1.5 trillion for Renewable Infrastructure Fund, N300 billion – Road construction and N400 billion for Rail transport.
Others are N380 billion of Water resources, irrigation, and dam projects, N250 billion for Military barracks renovation N120 billion for New military aviation projects, N50 billion for Border security agencies
Following the suspension of U.S. health aid, which previously provided funding for HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, and polio treatments, President Tinubu approved $200 million (N300 billion) to ensure continued medical supplies and healthcare support for affected patients.
On the major Boost for Infrastructure Development he said a record N23.7 trillion has been allocated for capital projects, marking a significant leap in infrastructure investment.
He listed the areas the funds will focus on to include Roads and railways,nEducation and healthcare improvements and Other critical public infrastructure
To prevent delays in budget implementation, the 2026 budget process will begin in July 2025, with the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) submitted early and the Appropriation Bill expected by October 2025.
Concerns over inadequate rail infrastructure funding in the South East were raised, but legislative leaders clarified that rail projects are primarily funded through public-private partnerships (PPPs).
According to him, the 2025 budget focuses on light rail development in Lagos, Ogun, Kaduna, and Kano, while further discussions on South East projects are ongoing.
He explained that to maintain Economic Stability the budget parameters remain unchanged, with key revenue sources including FIRS increasing its revenue target to N25.1 trillion, Nigeria Customs Service boosting revenue collection through stricter enforcement and Independent revenue agencies contributing 100% of their generated funds to the federal government
The House of Representatives has directed its Joint Committee on Communications and Interior to investigate reports of unauthorized National Identification Number (NIN) linkages by telecom service providers across Nigeria.
The decision followed the unanimous adoption of a motion jointly sponsored by Hon. Patrick Umoh (APC, Akwa Ibom) and Hon. Julius Ihonvbere (APC, Edo). The House also instructed the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to probe the allegations and sanction any telecom operator found guilty of violating privacy laws.
Additionally, the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has been asked to clarify whether telecom providers were authorized to link NINs to subscriber lines and if such actions comply with existing regulations.
Hon. Umoh raised concerns about recent reports indicating that telecom companies have linked NINs to subscribers’ SIM cards without their consent. He warned that this unauthorized linkage exposes Nigerians to criminal activities, such as identity theft, financial fraud, and other cybercrimes.
“This action is a clear violation of the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 and the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) 2019, which guarantee the right to privacy and the protection of personal data,” Umoh stated.
He further emphasized that while the NIN system was introduced to enhance national security and streamline identification processes, unauthorized linkages undermine public trust and jeopardize citizens’ safety.
“Aware that innocent citizens have been wrongly implicated in crimes, suffered reputational damage, harassment, and legal challenges for offenses they know nothing about, it is imperative that we address this issue immediately,” Umoh added.
The House has mandated the probe committee to submit its findings within four weeks, as lawmakers seek to protect Nigerians from potential data breaches and uphold the integrity of national security protocols.
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