The federal government has disclosed that President Bola Tinubu is expected to present the 2027 Appropriation Bill to the National Assembly before the end of 2026.
Minister of State for Budget and Economic Planning, Doris Anite-Uzoka, made the disclosure while briefing State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council meeting on Wednesday.
The meeting was presided over by Tinubu at the Council Chamber of the State House in Abuja.
The minister gave the update in response to a question about when the President would present the proposed 2027 budget to the National Assembly for consideration and approval.
She said the Federal Government was already working on the budget and intended to submit it to lawmakers before the end of the year.
“We are working on the budget for 2027, and the intention is to present it before the end of the year,” she said.
The budget preparation process had already begun several weeks before Wednesday’s disclosure, with the Budget Office of the Federation issuing guidelines directing government agencies to submit their personnel cost proposals for the coming fiscal year.
In a Personnel Costs Budget Call Circular dated September 4, the Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Tanimu Yakubu, directed all ministries, departments and agencies to submit their proposed personnel expenditure for 2027 alongside their respective establishment Acts.
The circular introduced a compulsory requirement for the agencies to attach their establishment Acts to their personnel cost proposals.
The measure followed concerns over the discovery of fictitious government agencies by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, raising questions about the credibility of some institutions and the management of public funds.
Under the new requirement, agencies that fail to meet the stipulated conditions face restrictions on the inclusion of personnel costs in the 2027 budget.
The circular also stated that agencies not captured on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System or the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System would not receive personnel cost provisions in the proposed budget.
The requirement is part of the government’s efforts to strengthen budget preparation, improve payroll accountability and ensure that public funds are allocated to recognised government institutions.
On Tuesday, Tinubu requested the National Assembly’s approval for a fresh external borrowing plan involving $20.52bn and €1.04bn to finance projects and programmes across different sectors of the economy.
The request was conveyed to lawmakers in a letter read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during plenary.
The proposal requires legislative consideration before any approval can be granted.
The Federal Government has maintained that borrowing forms part of its financing strategy for implementing projects and meeting financial obligations.
