Abuja, FCT | Tuesday, March 31, 2026 – The House of Representatives has passed the 2026 Appropriation Bill totalling ₦68,303,309,818,667 (Sixty-Eight Trillion, Three Hundred and Three Billion, Three Hundred and Nine Million, Eight Hundred and Eighteen Thousand, Six Hundred and Sixty-Seven Naira), representing an increase of approximately ₦10 trillion from the initial proposal presented in December 2025.
The passage followed the presentation of the Report of the House Committee on Appropriations and its consideration at the Committee of Supply during an extensive session presided over by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, PhD, GCON, on Tuesday.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, had on December 19, 2025, presented the ₦58.18 trillion 2026 Appropriation Bill, themed “Budget of Consolidation, Renewed Resilience and Shared Prosperity,” to a Joint Session of the National Assembly, pledging to consolidate ongoing economic reforms and translate stabilising macroeconomic indicators into improved living standards for Nigerians.
Following its presentation, the House debated the general principles of the Money Bill on January 29, 2026, after which it was referred to the House Committee on Appropriations for detailed scrutiny, and robust budget defence sessions involving relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), as well as Government-Owned Enterprises (GOEs).
Under the approved framework, the Bill authorises withdrawals from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation as follows:
- ₦4,799,628,911,806 for Statutory Transfers;
- ₦15,809,361,631,657 for Debt Service;
- ₦15,427,257,802,407 for Recurrent (Non-Debt) Expenditure; and
- ₦32,267,061,472,797 for Capital Expenditure through the Development Fund for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2026.
The House also passed an amendment to the Appropriation Act (Repeal and Enactment), 2025 and Related Matters (HB.2743), extending the implementation period of the capital component of the 2025 Appropriation Act from March 31, 2026, to June 30, 2026.
During plenary, the House further considered and approved two reports of the Committee on Aids, Loans and Debt Management together with their recommendations. The reports relate to requests for legislative approval to establish a structured Total Return Swap external financing programme valued at $5 billion with First Abu Dhabi Bank to support Federal Government funding requirements and fiscal liquidity management.
The House also approved a $1,000,945,693.055 UK Export Finance (UKEF)-covered loan facility, arranged by Citibank, for the rehabilitation and modernisation of the Lagos Port Complex and Tin Can Island Port Complex.
These approvals followed the consideration of two separate request from President Tinubu seeking legislative approval for external borrowing valued at $6billion, as conveyed in correspondences read on the floor of the House by the Speaker. According to the President’s communication, the projects are designed to address critical infrastructure deficiencies, improve operational efficiency, enhance safety standards, promote non-oil trade diversification, and strengthen Nigeria’s position as a regional trade hub.
Earlier in the proceedings, the House received notification letters from twenty-nine (29) Honourable Members announcing their resignation from their respective political parties and subsequent defection to other parties, citing internal disputes and leadership crises within the state and national structures of their former parties.
The Majority Caucus welcomed new Members from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), while two Members moved from the Majority Caucus to the Labour Party (LP) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Within the Minority Caucus, additional movements were recorded, with Members defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord Party (AP), and Action Peoples Party (APP), reflecting ongoing partisan realignments within the political landscape.
The House subsequently adjourned plenary to Tuesday, April 21, 2026, to enable Honourable Members engage their constituents and observe the 2026 Easter celebrations.
Signed:
Rep. Akin Rotimi, mnipr
Spokesman, House of Representatives
