President Bola Tinubu has submitted a proposed ₦1.783 trillion statutory appropriation bill for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to the Senate for consideration and approval for the 2025 financial year.
In his communication to the upper chamber on Wednesday, President Tinubu called for expedited consideration of the bill, emphasising that its passage was essential to ensure an efficient and service-driven administration for residents of the FCT.
In response, the Senate invoked Order 78, enabling the bill to pass second reading on the same day it was introduced.
However, the fast-tracked process was met with resistance, as opposition senator Abdul Ningi raised procedural concerns under Order 77 (3 and 4), pointing out that lawmakers had not been given copies of the bill before the debate commenced.
Despite the objection, the Senate proceeded with debate on the general principles of the 2025 FCT Statutory Appropriation Bill.
Leading the discussion, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele explained that the bill seeks to authorise the release of ₦1,783,823,708,392 from the FCT Administration’s Statutory Revenue Fund to cover personnel, overhead, and capital expenditures from January 1 to December 31, 2025.
The proposed budget allocates ₦150.35 billion to personnel costs, ₦343.78 billion to overheads, and ₦1.29 trillion to capital projects.
Bamidele highlighted that the primary aim of the budget is to support a functional, enduring, and people-centred administration, with a strong focus on completing existing infrastructure projects and essential services in Abuja.
He noted that while ongoing projects will be prioritised, provisions have also been made for the commencement of new initiatives deemed critical to the capital’s development.