Tinubu Seeks ₦9 Trillion Increase for 2026 Budget

President Bola Tinubu has formally requested the National Assembly to approve an upward review of the 2026 budget by ₦9 trillion, increasing the total from ₦58.4 trillion to ₦67.4 trillion. This request was communicated in a letter read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during a plenary session on Tuesday.

The proposed adjustment is intended to enhance fiscal transparency and ensure the effective implementation of national programs. Tinubu's request is driven by three major considerations: the need to regularize outstanding legal commitments from previous appropriation cycles, the necessity to properly capture existing public debt obligations within the fiscal framework, and the aim to align strategic priority projects with the 2026 financial plan.

The budget framework is built on realistic growth assumptions, with projected revenues of ₦34.33 trillion and total expenditures of ₦58.18 trillion, including a deficit of ₦23.85 trillion, which represents 4.28% of the country's gross domestic product.