The Nigerian Senate has approved a total sum of ₦68.323 trillion as the 2026 Appropriation Bill, representing an increase of over ₦9.09 trillion from the ₦58.47 trillion initially proposed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The upward revision followed a fresh request by the President to accommodate legacy commitments, particularly in the transportation and health sectors, as well as additional provisions, including funding for the judiciary.
The approval came after the Senate adopted the joint report of the National Assembly on the 2026 Appropriation Bill.
A breakdown of the budget shows that ₦4.799 trillion is allocated for statutory transfers, ₦15.809 trillion for debt servicing, ₦15.427 trillion for recurrent (non-debt) expenditure, and ₦32.287 trillion for capital projects.
Further details indicate that ₦5.71 trillion from the additional provisions is earmarked for the regularisation of outstanding capital obligations carried over from the 2025 budget, while ₦2 trillion is set aside for previously omitted projects across the country.
Sectoral allocations include ₦482.758 billion for the health sector, ₦478.600 billion for the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MoFI), and ₦268 billion for the judiciary. Of the judiciary allocation, ₦36 billion is designated for the Supreme Court, while ₦98.513 million is allocated to the Court of Appeal.
In addition, ₦8.960 billion was approved for feasibility studies on key road projects, including the Calabar–Maiduguri and Maiduguri–Sokoto corridors.
Meanwhile, the Senate also approved an extension of the capital component of the 2025 budget, shifting its implementation deadline from March 31 to June 30, 2026, to allow for the completion of ongoing projects.
The passage of the 2026 budget underscores the government’s focus on infrastructure development and fiscal adjustments, even as concerns remain over rising expenditure and debt servicing obligations.
