All Eyes on March 17, as Senate Prepares to Pass Massive ₦58.472trn 2026 Budget

All Eyes on March 17, as Senate Prepares to Pass Massive ₦58.472trn 2026 Budget

Attention has shifted to the National Assembly as the Senate moves towards the final passage of the ₦58.472 trillion 2026 Appropriation Bill, now scheduled for Tuesday, March 17, 2026.

The timeline was unveiled by the Senate Committee on Appropriations at a special session on Friday, where lawmakers rolled out a comprehensive roadmap for scrutinising and approving the spending plan.

Under the schedule, Senate committees will examine the budget estimates from February 2 to February 13, 2026. In a move aimed at deepening transparency and public participation, a public hearing on the budget proposal has been fixed for Monday, February 9.

Chairman of the committee, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (Ogun West), said the public hearing would feature a detailed presentation by Professor Wasiu Adeoye, a University of Lagos-based economist, who is expected to provide expert analysis of the 2026 fiscal framework.

Further engagement is planned for Thursday, March 5, when members of the Appropriations Committee will hold an interactive session with key economic managers of the Federal Government, including the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, and the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu.

Senator Adeola disclosed that reports from budget defence sessions across Senate committees will be submitted between February 16 and February 23, paving the way for the presentation of the committee’s final report on March 17.

He noted that although Senate leadership initially pushed for the passage of the budget by March 12, an extension of one week was granted to allow for more rigorous scrutiny of the estimates.

To support detailed examination, hard copies of the 2026 budget have been produced and distributed to chairmen and members of all Senate standing committees.

The timetable was adopted following a motion moved by Senator Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central) and seconded by Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia North).