The Senate has scheduled March 17 for the final consideration and passage of the ₦58.472 trillion 2026 Appropriation Bill.
At a special session in Abuja on Friday, the Senate Committee on Appropriations approved February 2 to February 13 for committee-level review of the budget estimates. The committee also fixed February 9 for a public hearing on the proposal.
Chairman of the committee, Senator Solomon Adeola, announced that Professor Wasiu Adeoye, an economist from the University of Lagos, will deliver a PowerPoint presentation at the public hearing. The session will focus on the theme: “Strengthening Microeconomic Stability, Accelerating Infrastructure Delivery, and Improving Security through Fiscal Discipline and Effective Implementation of the 2026 Budget.”
Adeola explained that engagements with ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) will run from Monday, February 2, to Friday, February 13, during which sub-committee chairmen will invite relevant MDAs for discussions and presentations.
The committee also adopted March 5 for an interactive session with key economic managers of the federal government, including the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, and the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Atiku Bagudu.
According to Adeola, reports from budget defence sessions are expected from committee chairmen between February 16 and February 23, ahead of the committee’s presentation to the Senate on March 17.
He noted that although Senate leadership initially proposed March 12 for passage of the budget, he sought and secured an additional week to allow for thorough scrutiny.
To aid detailed consideration, Adeola added that hard copies of the 2026 budget have been printed and distributed to chairmen and members of the standing committees.
The timetable was formally adopted following a motion by Senator Adamu Aliero (APC–Kebbi), seconded by Senator Orji Kalu (APC–Abia), according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).