Abuja, Dec. 17, 2025 — Barring any last-minute changes, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will on Friday, December 19, 2025, present the 2026 Appropriation Bill to a joint session of the National Assembly.
The presentation, scheduled for 2:00 p.m., will formally transmit the Federal Government’s fiscal proposals for the 2026 financial year to the legislature for consideration, debate, and approval.
Ahead of the event, a formal communication from the Presidency is expected to be read on the floor of the House of Representatives when plenary resumes on Thursday, notifying lawmakers and National Assembly staff of the President’s appearance.
A copy of the internal notice, dated December 17, 2025, was sighted by our correspondent. The letter was signed by the Secretary, Human Resources and Staff Development, Essien Eyo Essien, on behalf of the Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, and copied to the Deputy Clerk and heads of departments.
According to the letter, President Tinubu, “in his capacity as President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” will present the proposed 2026 budget at the joint sitting of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Security, access restrictions
The correspondence also outlined detailed security and access arrangements for the day. All accredited persons were directed to be at their duty posts by 11:00 a.m., noting that access into the National Assembly complex “will be restricted thereafter.”
Non-accredited persons were advised to stay away from the National Assembly complex throughout the duration of the event.
In addition, staff members—except the Clerk, Deputy Clerk, Clerk of the House, Clerk of the Senate, and their deputies—were instructed to park their vehicles at designated areas within the National Assembly Annexe or the new car park via the Service Gate.
The measures are in line with standard security protocols for presidential addresses to a joint sitting of the legislature.
Constitutional practice
The annual budget presentation marks the official commencement of the federal government’s budget cycle and the transmission of spending estimates to the National Assembly for legislative scrutiny.
Although the 1999 Constitution (as amended) empowers the President to lay budget estimates before each chamberof the National Assembly, successive administrations have institutionalised the practice of addressing a joint session of both chambers to formally introduce the Appropriation Bill.
The tradition allows the President to outline the government’s economic priorities, revenue assumptions, fiscal targets, and expenditure framework for the coming year, while symbolically underscoring cooperation between the executive and legislative arms of government.
What happens next
Following Friday’s presentation, the 2026 Appropriation Bill will be referred to the relevant committees of the Senate and House of Representatives for detailed examination.
The process includes:
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sector-by-sector budget defence by ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs);
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public hearings and stakeholder engagements;
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committee reports and harmonisation by the Appropriations Committees of both chambers.
Once passed by the National Assembly, the bill will be transmitted to the President for assent, paving the way for implementation in the 2026 fiscal year.
The 2026 budget presentation comes amid continued debate over revenue mobilisation, debt servicing obligations, inflationary pressures, subsidy reforms, and capital spending priorities, issues expected to dominate legislative scrutiny in the weeks ahead.
Emma Tochi ✔
Godwin Okafor is the Publisher & CEO of Naija247news Media Group LLC, an independent investigative news platform delivering accurate, data-driven reporting on Nigerian and global politics, economy, finance, and business. Founded in October 2010, Naija247news specializes in developmental journalism, providing timely insights and analysis to readers across Nigeria and the diaspora.
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