In a move that’s raising eyebrows across the nation, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has asked the National Assembly to rubber-stamp his plan to extend the 2025 Appropriation Act’s implementation period all the way to March 31, 2026. The president claims this is part of a “broader effort” to end the chaos of running multiple federal budgets at once,a problem that, let’s be honest, has plagued every administration before his.

The request, delivered via a formal letter and dramatically read out by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas during a “special” plenary session, is being touted by Tinubu as a game-changer. He insists the extension is “critical” for fiscal reforms, better planning, and,of course,accountability. But critics are already asking: is this just another round of empty promises?

Tinubu’s letter is full of big numbers and even bigger ambitions. He wants to make sure at least 30 percent of capital allocations actually get to Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs),something that, by his own admission, hasn’t happened before. Delayed capital releases, incomplete projects, and stunted economic growth? The president says this extension will fix it all.

But the real headline is the money. Tinubu is proposing to repeal and re-enact the 2024 Appropriation Act, ballooning its size to a staggering N43.56 trillion. Not to be outdone, the 2025 budget would jump to N48.32 trillion, with its implementation period stretched to March 2026. The administration claims this is about “aligning with fiscal realities,” but many are wondering if it’s just more of the same old budget bloat.

In his official communication, Tinubu sent the “enclosed Appropriation (Repeal and Re-Enactment Bills), 2024 and 2025” to the House, urging lawmakers to fast-track their approval. He says these changes are “in the overall interest of national development,” but skeptics point out that similar promises have been made,and broken,before.

The breakdown? For 2024, N1.74 trillion for statutory transfers, N8.27 trillion for debt service, N11.27 trillion for recurrent spending, and a whopping N22.28 trillion for capital expenditure. For 2025, the numbers get even bigger: N3.64 trillion for statutory transfers, N14.32 trillion for debt service, N13.59 trillion for recurrent spending, and N16.77 trillion for capital projects. It’s a lot of money, but will it actually reach the people who need it?

Tinubu is pushing the National Assembly to move quickly, insisting that these bills will finally address “items not previously recognized” and set a new capital implementation target. But with a history of delayed budgets, revenue shortfalls, and slow fund releases, many are questioning whether this is just another political performance.

The administration blames overlapping budgets for Nigeria’s fiscal mess, but critics say the real problem is lack of discipline and transparency. Tinubu’s team claims this extension will restore order and predictability, but Nigerians have heard it all before.

Observers say the success of this latest budget maneuver depends on the National Assembly’s cooperation and whether MDAs can actually spend the money efficiently. The government promises more transparency and accountability, but the public remains skeptical.