Nigerian Senate has announced plans to suspend plenary sessions for two weeks, starting from January 14, to focus on the 2025 budget.
This decision comes as the National Assembly begins considering the N49.7 trillion budget proposal at the committee level.
According to Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, the suspension will allow for thorough deliberations on the budget.
The Nigerian Senate has also scheduled an open day for budget discussions on Thursday, January 10, which will involve inputs from various stakeholders, including heads of ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs).
The timeline for consideration and passage of the budget is tight, but the Nigerian Senate is committed to making the best of it.
To facilitate the process, hard copies of the budget proposals have been distributed to committee chairmen, who will use them as reference documents during budget defense sessions with MDAs.
Here’s a breakdown of the tentative timetable of the Nigerian Senate;
– January 7-13: Budget defense sessions begin
– January 15-18: Reports from various committees are expected to be submitted
– January 31: Final report on the budget is expected to be laid before the Senate (tentative date)
The Senator Adeola-led committee has emphasized that the January 31 deadline is tentative and subject to change.
