President Bola Tinubu has refused to sign two recently passed bills into law, citing serious concerns about their fiscal impact, legal inconsistencies, and possible conflicts with federal policies.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the decision during Tuesday’s plenary, reading separate letters from Tinubu outlining the reasons for his rejection.
The first bill, the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NITT) Repeal and Reenactment Bill, seeks to restructure the institute’s operations and funding model. While acknowledging the bill’s objectives, Tinubu argued that several provisions were flawed and threatened financial discipline and good governance.
One controversial clause permits the institute to collect one per cent of all import and export freight charges — a move Tinubu described as “onerous and unfair to businesses.” He added that such a levy contradicts the Federal Government’s current tax policy framework.
The President also objected to a provision allowing the institute to borrow up to ₦50 million without presidential approval, warning that it could undermine executive oversight and lead to financial mismanagement. Furthermore, he criticised a section authorising the institute to invest its funds, stating that as a non-revenue-generating body funded by federal allocations, this was inappropriate and inconsistent with government fiscal principles.
In a separate correspondence, Tinubu declined to approve the National Library Trust Fund Establishment (Amendment) Bill, 2025, citing conflicts with existing laws and national policies.
He explained that the proposed amendments contradict established policies on public institution funding, taxation of national entities, public service pay, and age and tenure limits for public officials. Tinubu cautioned that passing the bill in its current form would set an unsustainable precedent and fail to serve the public interest.
The President urged the National Assembly to revisit and amend the problematic sections of both bills to ensure they align with existing laws and government priorities.