The Senate Committee on Appropriation has projected March 17 as the likely date for the presentation of the final report on the 2026 Appropriation Bill, signaling that the budget process has entered its final and decisive stage.
Chairman of the committee, Senator Solomon Adeola (Yayi), disclosed the timeline while briefing colleagues on the progress of the budget work, noting that the proposed March 17–19 window remains subject to the agreement of committee members.
Adeola explained that the timeline was chosen to accommodate the technical demands of budget scrutiny as well as the legislative calendar, particularly the Easter recess and the concluding period of Ramadan. He added that although Senate leadership had initially proposed March 12 for passage, the committee considered a later date more realistic.
“The process is intensive and highly technical. We must ensure the budget is thoroughly examined and harmonised before presentation,” Adeola said.
The development follows the second reading of the 2026 Appropriation Bill on December 23, 2025, after which it was referred to relevant committees for detailed consideration. Since then, work has progressed through documentation reviews, stakeholder consultations, and committee-level scrutiny.
Adeola confirmed that soft copies of the budget have been circulated to members of the Appropriation Committee, while arrangements for the printing of 400 hard copies have been concluded. He said consultations with the Director-General of the Budget Office and the Minister of Budget would ensure prompt distribution of the documents to committee chairmen and their secretariats.
According to the timetable, budget defence sessions with Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) will hold from February 2 to February 13, 2026. This will be followed by the submission and defence of subcommittee reports between February 16 and February 23. Collation and harmonisation of reports are scheduled for February 24 to March 17.
Adeola said the success of the process would depend on discipline, cooperation, and strict adherence to the timetable, stressing that the goal is to produce a budget that is credible, implementable, and aligned with national priorities.
Meanwhile, the theme for the public budget hearing has been approved as:
“From Budget to Impact: Strengthening Macroeconomic Stability, Accelerating Infrastructure Delivery, and Improving Security through Fiscal Discipline and Effective Implementation of the 2026 Budget.”
The public hearing will be facilitated by Professor Wasiu Adewuyi, a Professor of Economics at the University of Lagos and an expert in fiscal and monetary policy.
If adopted, the March 17 timeline would position the 2026 budget for passage shortly thereafter, reinforcing the Senate’s commitment to timely and orderly fiscal governance.
Senate Appropriation Committee Targets March 17 for Final 2026 Budget Report
