BREAKING: Reps grill Edun, Bagudu over 2024/25 budget delays

The House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations has engaged the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, and the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu, over the pace of implementation of the 2024–2025 Appropriations Act.

Briefing newsmen after the closed-door session in Abuja on Wednesday, the Chairman of the Committee, Abubakar Bichi (APC–Kano), said Nigerians were increasingly worried about the level of budget execution.

He explained that the engagement was part of the National Assembly’s constitutional mandate to monitor budget performance and ensure effective service delivery.

“We have engaged with the Ministers of Finance and Budget; both acknowledged the concerns and assured us of their commitment to work harder so that Nigerians can begin to see visible results from the budget.

“Our members are seriously concerned, and the ministers have promised that before the end of this year, Nigerians will witness significant changes and developments. They have given us their word, and we will be monitoring closely,” Bichi said.

On his part, the Minister of Finance, Mr Wale Edun, disclosed that as of September 2025, about 80 per cent of the 2024 budget had been implemented.

“Overall, implementation is at about 80 per cent. As you know, the National Assembly extended the 2024 budget till December, so it is still running. We also reviewed the 2025 budget, focusing on grassroots projects and critical infrastructure such as roads, irrigation, and other facilities that directly impact Nigerians,” Edun said.

The minister said, “As is customary, we reviewed the budget performance, looked at 2024, basically, overall it’s around 80 per cent. And as you know, the budget for 2024 was extended by the National Assembly till December, so it is still running, it is still a work in progress.

“And likewise, we looked at what is happening in 2025, and we put our heads together to ensure that, particularly the projects that touch the grassroots, that provide support, resources, and facilities, like irrigation and other infrastructure projects at the grassroots level, are focused on and are given adequate attention and priority. So discussion is ongoing for the implementation of the budget faithfully and fully.”

On concerns over additional spending, Edun clarified that there was no discussion on a supplementary budget for 2025.

Also speaking, the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu, said the committee recognised and commended the achievements recorded under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

He noted that lawmakers particularly appreciated the Executive’s respect for the National Assembly and the cordial working relationship between both arms of government.

“The National Assembly has supported all major reform initiatives of this administration, including the recent tax reforms, which are already yielding results. Our engagement today helped to identify areas where improvements are still required,” Bagudu added.

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