STAR SPILLZ BLOG

The Senate yesterday fixed March 17, 2026, for the final consideration and passage of the N58.472 trillion 2026 Appropriation Bill, setting in motion an accelerated and detailed legislative timetable aimed at ensuring timely approval of the nation’s budget.

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The decision was taken in Abuja at a special session of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, which also rolled out a schedule for intensive scrutiny of the estimates by standing committees of the Red Chamber.

Under the timetable, budget defence sessions by ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) at committee level will hold from February 2 to February 13.

To deepen transparency and public participation, the committee scheduled a public hearing on the budget proposal for Monday, February 9, 2026.

At the hearing, a Professor of Economics at the University of Lagos, Wasiu Adeoye, is expected to make a presentation on the macroeconomic projections and fiscal assumptions underlying the budget.

Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (APC – Ogun West), said the structured timeline was designed to guarantee a thorough but swift consideration process that would allow the National Assembly deliver the budget early in the year.

He disclosed that February 16 to 23 had been set aside for submission of reports on budget defence by chairmen of standing committees, after which the Appropriations Committee would harmonise the inputs and lay its consolidated report before the Senate on March 17

As part of the review process, the committee also fixed Thursday, March 5, 2026, for an interactive session with key economic managers of the Federal Government.

Those expected at the session include the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr Olawale Edun, and the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu.

Adeola told committee members that the Senate leadership had initially pushed for passage of the budget by March 12, but agreed to grant an additional one week to allow for more meticulous scrutiny.

According to him, hard copies of the 2026 budget estimates have been printed and distributed to chairmen and members of the various standing committees to facilitate detailed examination of the proposals.

The timetable was formally adopted by the committee following a motion moved by Senator Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central) and seconded by Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia North).

With the schedule now in place, the Senate is set to commence a multi-layered review process involving committee-level defences, public input and high-level engagement with top government economic officials, all aimed at delivering a frontloaded and implementable 2026 budget.