Nigeria's Finance Minister Moves 2026 Budget Projects to 2027

On October 8, 2026, Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, announced Nigeria's plan to transfer unfinished projects and outstanding spending commitments from the 2026 budget into 2027. This decision was made during the World Bank’s Nigeria Development Update launch in Abuja.

Oyedele stated, “Whatever is left of 2026, we’re transferring into 2027, not running two budgets.” This proposed transfer aims to consolidate outstanding commitments into the next spending plan but does not specify when contractors will be paid or when projects will be completed. President Bola Tinubu had previously set a deadline for resolving budget backlogs when he presented the 2026 budget proposal on December 19, 2025, promising that capital liabilities from previous years would be funded by March 31, 2026.

By the third quarter of 2025, only ₦3.10 trillion, or 17.7% of that year’s capital budget, had been released, with revenue collection falling short of targets. Oyedele acknowledged weaknesses in revenue forecasting, indicating that future spending plans would be based on actual fiscal performance.