President Bola Tinubu has asked the Senate to approve an increase of N9.3 trillion in the 2026 budget, raising it from N58.47 trillion to N67.7 trillion.
The request was conveyed in a letter read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during plenary on Tuesday, following lawmakers’ resumption from the two-week Eid el-Fitr break.
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In the letter, Mr Tinubu said the proposed increase is aimed primarily at regularising outstanding legacy capital projects carried over from previous budgets, with a view to ensuring their completion.
He also noted that the additional spending would support key transport projects, in line with the administration’s continuity agenda.
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The president noted that the adjustment is further intended to preserve macro-fiscal stability and ease pressure on the domestic financial market.
Unfunded N5.7 trillion for capital projects
The president also drew lawmakers’ attention to provisions totalling N5.7 trillion and N2 trillion for capital projects in the 2025 budget that have not been funded and were therefore omitted as outstanding obligations.
He said the proposed increment is intended to address these unfunded capital projects.
According to the president, the projects include light rail developments in Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, and Ogun states, as well as feasibility studies for projects in Maiduguri, urban light rail systems, and the narrow-gauge railway network.
He also disclosed an additional provision of N8.6 billion for detailed feasibility studies on the Calabar–Maiduguri corridor, which traverses the North-central zone, as well as the Maiduguri–Sokoto superhighway
Intervention for health
Mr Tinubu further highlighted an additional $344.8 million (approximately N482.7 billion) earmarked for priority health interventions, in line with existing bilateral agreements and implementation commitments.
Provision for judiciary
The president also prioritised the judiciary in the proposed increment, with N98.5 billion allocated to the Court of Appeal and N36.7 billion to the Supreme Court, in preparation for pre- and post-election matters arising from the 2027 general elections.
“A further provision of N98.5 billion for the Court of Appeal and N36.7 billion for the Supreme Court to support adjudicating processes and activities within the architecture of the pre- and post-2027 general elections. For the reinstatement of the budget sealing of the judiciary with considerations from the prospective appoints of additional justices of the court of Appeal and other judges,” the letter reads.
After reading the letter, Mr Akpabio referred the request to the Senate Committee on Appropriations for further legislative consideration.
PREMIUM TIMES reports that the National Assembly had yet to pass the 2026 budget before the president’s latest amendment.
