Senate pledges early passage of 2026 budget

The Senate has assured President Bola Tinubu of its readiness to work closely with the Executive to ensure the timely passage and effective implementation of the 2026 Appropriation Bill.

The assurance was given by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, during the public hearing and interactive session on the 2026 Appropriation Bill organised by the Senate Committee on Appropriations at the National Assembly, Abuja, on Monday.

Akpabio, who was represented at the event by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, said the legislature remained committed to its constitutional responsibilities of oversight, accountability and legislative support aimed at stabilising the economy and improving the welfare of Nigerians.

He said, “The Senate remains fully committed to its constitutional responsibility of oversight, accountability, and legislative support for policies that stabilise the economy, unlock productivity, and improve the security and welfare of our people.

We will continue to work with the Executive and all stakeholders to ensure that the 2026 Budget is not only passed on time, but implemented with fidelity and measurable results.”

In a speech titled From Budget to Impact, Akpabio described budget hearings as a critical democratic process rather than a routine legislative exercise.

The former Akwa governor noted that Nigeria was at a critical juncture, grappling with inflationary pressures, infrastructure deficits, unemployment concerns and lingering security challenges, which, according to him, directly affect the daily lives of citizens.

Budget hearings are not mere rituals of governance. They are moments of national self-examination. There are occasions when a nation pauses to ask itself hard questions: Where are we? Where are we going? And are our resources aligned with our aspirations?

“Nigeria today stands at a decisive crossroads. We confront fiscal pressure, inflationary strain, gaps in infrastructure, anxieties of employment, and security challenges that weigh heavily upon the confidence and livelihoods of our people.

“These are not abstractions. They are not theoretical projections. They are the daily realities felt in homes, markets, farms, factories, and streets across our land,” he noted.

Despite the challenges, the Senate President expressed optimism, urging Nigerians and policymakers not to surrender to despair.

Akpabio stressed the need for a shift from traditional spending patterns to more efficient and impactful fiscal management, invoking the words of renowned economist John Maynard Keynes.

“Yet let us be clear: adversity is not the herald of defeat. More often, it is the trumpet call of resilience and transition. For the eagle does not flee from the storm; it rises upon it.”

“As the economist John Maynard Keynes once observed, ‘The difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas as in escaping from old ones.’ Our task, therefore, is not simply to spend more, but to spend better; not merely to allocate funds, but to convert budgets into outcomes and appropriations into impact.”

Fiscal discipline, tax reforms, macroeconomic stability, infrastructure delivery, and effective implementation are not isolated objectives. They are interlinked pillars of national recovery and growth,” he noted.

The Senate President also commended the Senate Committee on Appropriations for opening the budget process to public scrutiny, describing it as a demonstration of democratic accountability.

He also urged stakeholders, experts and citizens participating in the hearing to engage constructively.

“By opening this process to public scrutiny and expert engagement, the Committee affirms a core democratic principle: that budgeting in a democracy is not done for the people alone, but with the people.

“Your insights, critiques, and recommendations are not interruptions to governance; they are its oxygen. Engage not as spectators, but as partners in national progress,” Akpabio stressed.

Akpabio concluded by describing the budget as a moral and value-driven document that reflects a nation’s priorities.

Culled from punch