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Monday, May 18, 2026

Nigeria’s budget office defends delay in releasing quarterly reports

Mr Yakubu said on Sunday that the repeal and re-enactment process disrupted the publication timeline of the reports, forcing the office to shift the release dates.

• May 18, 2026
Tinubu with budget box
Tinubu with budget box(Credit: Premium Times)

Tanimu Yakubu, the director-general of the Budget Office of the Federation, has addressed concerns over the delayed publication of the Quarterly Budget Implementation Reports, attributing the delay to the repeal and re-enactment of the 2025 Appropriation Act, which concluded in December 2025.

According to him, Nigeria remains on track with its budget commitments.

Mr Yakubu on Sunday said the repeal and re-enactment process disrupted the publication timeline of the reports, forcing the office to shift the release dates.

He clarified that Nigeria’s budget cycle does not strictly follow the January-December calendar year. Instead, like many countries, it operates a fiscal system that may begin and end outside the conventional calendar framework.

“The practical operation of fiscal administration has at various times departed from the strict January-December calendar cycle through statutory extensions, supplementary appropriations, continuing resolutions, rollover authorisations, and Appropriation (Repeal and Re-enactment) Acts,” Mr Yakubu explained in a statement.

He said the adjustments automatically extended the 2025 budget to June 2026.

“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.”

“These fiscal adjustments effectively extended the operational lifespan of the 2025 Budget beyond the conventional 12-month calendar framework ordinarily associated with a fiscal year,” said Mr Yakubu.

Citing countries like the U.S., with a fiscal year that “runs from October 1 to September 30” and India’s, which “historically runs from April 1 to March 31”, Mr Yakubu said Nigeria’s fiscal year was consistent with global practice.

Mr Yakubu said the extension of the 2025 budget implementation became necessary to prevent the abandonment of ongoing projects. He added that the delay also allowed the Budget Office to carry out detailed reconciliations of revenue and expenditure, update debt and financing data and ensure audit consistency across government agencies.

“Accordingly, the outstanding Quarterly Budget Implementation Reports are being finalised and will be released in phases over the coming weeks,” the statement added.

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