Senate plans round table to review budgeting process, national planning

Senate yesterday resolved to organise a roundtable for all relevant agencies led by its Committee on National Planning to conduct a thorough review of Nigeria’s budgeting practices as well as the national planning process.

This was as they raised concern that the yearly national budgets were not reflective of the national development plans.

Coming against the background that Nigeria’s development plans have fallen short of achieving the vision of becoming one of the top 20 largest economies in the world, the roundtable is meant to fashion out budget driven by vision.

This was sequel to a motion on the need to establish a visionary budget-driven national planning framework for Nigeria, sponsored by Oduah Stella Adaeze (Anambra North).

The Senate, accordingly, mandated its Committee on National Planning, Finance and Appropriation to hold the roundtable meeting with agencies on budgeting process to conduct a thorough review of budgeting practices to match with the national planning process.

This, they said, would create a more synergised and collaborative system that is both effective and efficient.

Oduah, in her lead debate, said the approval of budget submissions by MDAs to the National Assembly were not reflective of goal-oriented and performance-based allocations.

Also, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (Niger North) said the non-implementation of development plans was responsible for the many abandoned projects nationwide.