A former lawmaker in Nigeria’s 7th National Assembly, Senator Ita Enang, has expressed concerns over the 2025 budget proposal presented by President Bola Tinubu.
According to Enang, the budget’s allocation to critical sectors is insufficient, leaving the president with no substantial projects to showcase for his reelection campaign in 2027.
President Tinubu presented the ₦49.7 trillion budget proposal to a joint session of the National Assembly on December 18, 2024. Lawmakers are set to reconvene on February 4, 2025, after ongoing budget defense sessions by ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs).
Enang, who previously served as Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters to former President Muhammadu Buhari, criticized the 2025 Appropriation Bill for what he described as low revenue allocation, inadequate revenue generation, and poor revenue mobilization. He argued that the proposed budget, in its current form, lacks the capacity to fulfill sectoral needs or drive economic growth.
The APC chieftain specifically highlighted critical infrastructure projects such as the Calabar-Ikot Ekpene, Lagos-Ibadan, Abuja-Lokoja-Benin, and Abuja-Kaduna highways. He noted that the funds allocated to these projects are insufficient to ensure their completion within the 2025 budget cycle.
Enang urged the president and his economic team to adopt a more strategic approach by prioritizing milestone projects in budgetary allocations. He also called for clear deadlines and tentative commissioning dates for such projects to provide tangible results that could bolster Tinubu’s administration and its chances in future elections.
Without significant adjustments to the proposed budget, Enang warned, the administration may face challenges in delivering visible achievements that could secure public support for Tinubu’s reelection bid in 2027.
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