The National Assembly, on Thursday, passed the N2.176 trillion 2023 supplementary budget presented to it by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday.
The senate approved the budget after the adoption of a report Chairman of the Appropriations Committee chairman, Senator Adeola Olamilekan (Ogun West) during plenary.
President Tinubu had, in a letter to the NASS sought its approval the proposal. This is the second of such this year after N819.5 billion was approved to provide palliatives for poor Nigerians.
Tinubu noted that there was need for more provision for additional palliative measures, including the wage award for public servants and the enhanced Cash Transfer Programme meant for the most vulnerable members of society.
“In addition, critical defence expenditures are also urgently required to provide for peace and the security of lives and property without which the government’s economic growth agenda cannot be achieved.
“Similarly, critical investments are also required to construct much needed infrastructure, particularly roads, which projects must be commenced within the (dry season) period between now and the end of the year,” he added.
The 2023 Supplementary budget shows that, N1.010.802,015,985 was for Recurrent expenditure while N1.165,989,270,049 goes for Capital expenditure.
The Green Chamber passed the budget after the Committee on Appropriations Chairman Abubakar Bichi (Kano, APC). earlier laid the report,
Speaker Abbas Tajudeen passed the supplementary budget clause by clause considerations and adoption of the report during the Committee on Supply.
The supplementary budget passed first reading on Tuesday was passed for second reading in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
The budget has a capital component of N1.165 trillion and a recurrent component of N1.010 trillion.
Sectoral allocations show that Service Wide Vote takes the lion share of N615 billion followed by the Ministry of Defence with N476.5 billion while the Federal Ministry of Works gets N300 billion.
The State House is to spend 28 billion; the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security got N200 billion; the Ministry of Housing, N100 billion; Department of State Services, N49 billion while the FCTA gets N100 billion.
Police formations and commands were allocated N50 billion; Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), N29.7 billion; Capital supplementation was allocated N210 billion while the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) got N18 billion.
The heads of the relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA) to benefit from the N2.176 trillion supplementary budget had on Wednesday appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations to defend their submissions.
The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi; Minister of Housing, Arc Ahmed Dangiwa; the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike; Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari; chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmood Yakubu and the service chiefs, watched the budget presentation.
