By Damilare Adeleye
The Federal Government has attributed the delay in publishing its recent quarterly budget implementation reports to the extension and re-enactment of the 2025 Appropriation Act, alongside ongoing fiscal reconciliation processes.
Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Tanimu Yakubu, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday, explaining that the development arose from constitutional and fiscal procedures governing public finance administration in Nigeria.
Yakubu said the delay followed the repeal and re-enactment of the 2025 Appropriation Act in December 2025, as well as the extension of the implementation period of the 2025 budget to June 2026.
According to him, these fiscal adjustments effectively prolonged the operational lifespan of the 2025 budget beyond the conventional January-to-December cycle.
“The recent adjustment in the publication schedule arose principally from the repeal and re-enactment process of the 2025 Appropriation Act concluded in December 2025, together with the subsequent extension of the implementation period of the 2025 budget to June 2026,” he stated.
He explained that a fiscal year should not be interpreted strictly as a calendar year, arguing that its duration and validity are determined by legislative authorization under the prevailing appropriation framework.
“In substance and in law, therefore, the fiscal year becomes not merely a chronological concept, but a legislatively sustained expenditure window,” Yakubu said.
The Budget Office boss further noted that several countries operate fiscal years outside the January-to-December calendar framework, citing the United States and India as examples where fiscal cycles are fixed by law rather than by calendar convention.
He argued that Sections 80 and 81 of the 1999 Constitution do not impose a rigid 12-month implementation cycle, but instead require public expenditure to be backed by lawful legislative authorization.
“Consequently, where the National Assembly lawfully extends, re-enacts, or preserves expenditure authority beyond a single calendar year, such authority remains legally valid and enforceable until its expiration under law,” he added.
Yakubu also referenced judicial precedents, including the Supreme Court decision in Attorney-General of Bendel State v. Attorney-General of the Federation, which he said affirmed the constitutional role of legislative approval in public spending.
He noted that budget implementation windows have similarly been extended in different jurisdictions during periods of economic disruption, including after the COVID-19 pandemic, to sustain capital projects and stabilize economies.
According to him, Nigeria has extended capital budget implementation timelines in previous years to avoid project abandonment, preserve contractor liquidity, and maintain employment levels.
Yakubu disclosed that following the extension of the 2025 budget, the Budget Office commenced extensive reconciliations involving revenue reviews, expenditure alignment, debt updates, financing adjustments, and inter-agency coordination to ensure the accuracy of the reports.
He assured the public that the outstanding quarterly budget implementation reports are being finalized and will be released in phases over the coming weeks.
The Budget Office also stated that it is strengthening its digital reporting systems and institutional coordination mechanisms to improve the timeliness and quality of fiscal reporting in line with international standards.
Yakubu reaffirmed the government’s commitment to transparency, fiscal discipline, constitutional compliance, and accountable public financial management.