President Bola Tinubu will on Friday present the 2026 Appropriation Bill to a joint session of the National Assembly, despite the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) for the 2026–2028 period yet to be approved by the House.
The plan was announced by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, during plenary on Thursday, following the receipt of a letter from the President requesting permission to address a joint sitting of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
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In the letter, President Tinubu sought the “kind indulgence” of the House of Representatives to allow him to address the joint session at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, 19 December, for the formal presentation of the 2026 budget.
“I request the kind indulgence of the House of Representatives to grant me the opportunity of 1400 hours on Friday, 19 December 2025, to formally present the 2026 budget to a joint session of the National Assembly,” the president wrote.
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While expressing his readiness to address lawmakers, the president also conveyed assurances of his “highest regards” to members of the National Assembly.
MTEF yet to be approved
Under the Fiscal Responsibility Act, the MTEF and FSP are required to be laid before and approved by the National Assembly ahead of the annual budget presentation, as they provide the macroeconomic framework and fiscal assumptions upon which the Appropriation Bill is based.
The MTEF outlines key projections such as oil price benchmarks, daily crude oil production, exchange rate assumptions, revenue estimates, deficit financing plans and borrowing thresholds for three years.
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However, as of the time of filing this report, the House had yet to pass the 2026–2028 MTEF and FSP, raising concerns among lawmakers and fiscal analysts about the sequencing of the budget process.
The delay in approving the framework was caused largely by disagreements over key macroeconomic assumptions, particularly crude oil benchmark prices and their implications for government revenue.
Despite the unresolved framework, internal arrangements for the budget presentation have proceeded.
PREMIUM TIMES had earlier reported that internal arrangements for the president’s appearance had already been communicated to lawmakers and parliamentary staff.
According to the arrangements, the presentation is scheduled to hold at 2:00 p.m. at the National Assembly complex in Abuja.
Details of the planned appearance were contained in a letter dated 17 December, issued by the Secretary, Human Resources and Staff Development, Adm. Essien Essien, on behalf of the Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana.
The communication was circulated to the deputy clerk and heads of departments, outlining logistics and administrative preparations for the joint sitting.
The annual budget presentation marks the formal commencement of legislative scrutiny of the government’s spending and revenue plans for the coming fiscal year.
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