N54TN BUDGET: NATIONAL ASSEMBLY INCREASES RECURRENT EXPENDITURE, CUTS N500BN FROM CAPITAL SPENDING. (PHOTO).

 N54tn Budget: National Assembly Increases Recurrent Expenditure, Cuts N500bn from Capital Spending

The National Assembly on Tuesday reviewed the recently passed 2025 budget, making adjustments that increased recurrent expenditure while reducing capital spending.

Despite maintaining the total budget size at N54.99 trillion, lawmakers reduced capital expenditure by over N500 billion and allocated the same amount to recurrent expenses. The review was deemed necessary after errors were identified in the earlier version of the budget.

During plenary sessions, both the Senate and House of Representatives corrected figures for various ministries, departments, and agencies, with some allocations revised upward while others were reduced.

Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, Francis Waive (APC, Delta), explained that the amendments were made after the Joint Appropriation Committee detected discrepancies in the previously approved figures.

Among the ministries and agencies that saw budget reductions were the Ministries of Defence and Police Affairs, National Pension Commission, Universities Pensions, Office of the Head of the Civil Service (civilian pensions), and the Pension Transition Arrangement Directorate.

Conversely, the Presidency, Office of the National Security Adviser, Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and the Ministries of Agriculture, Works, Labour, Transportation, Innovation, Science and Technology, Education, Environment, and Health received increased allocations.

Waive emphasized that the amendments would not alter the overall N54.99 trillion budget but were necessary corrections to ensure accuracy in the appropriation process.