The Senate is set to receive the report on the revised N54.2 trillion 2025 budget estimates by Wednesday or Thursday this week, according to Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

Akpabio gave the indication during Tuesday’s plenary while addressing the Senate after the debate on a bill proposing the establishment of a Federal University of Agriculture in Abak, Akwa Ibom State.

He stressed the urgency of concluding other legislative matters to prioritise the budget’s finalisation.

“You will observe that some of our colleagues are not in the chamber because of the required final touches on the 2025 Appropriation Bill, the report of which will be laid before us tomorrow (Wednesday) or next tomorrow (Thursday),” Akpabio stated.

“We need to close early to allow for collective efforts in that direction for final consideration and passage of the 2025 Appropriation Bill.”

The National Assembly had initially scheduled the passage of President Bola Tinubu’s proposed N49.7 trillion budget for January 31, 2025. However, this timeline was disrupted following an increase in the budget’s total expenditure profile to N54.2 trillion, communicated by President Tinubu on February 4, 2025, the same day lawmakers resumed their Christmas and New Year recess.

Both Akpabio and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, acknowledged the need to reprocess the budget to incorporate the additional N4.5 trillion.

Akpabio had previously urged the Senate Committee on Appropriations to expedite the review process to ensure the budget’s passage by the end of February. In line with this directive, he confirmed during Tuesday’s plenary that the committee’s report on the adjusted N54.2 trillion budget will be presented this week.

The swift handling of the budget reflects the legislature’s commitment to maintaining fiscal timelines and ensuring the smooth operation of government activities for the 2025 fiscal year.