The Nigerian Senate has passed the 2025 Appropriation Bill for the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), totalling N1.7 trillion, for second reading.
The bill, which was presented by President Bola Tinubu, aims to support the ongoing transformation of the Federal Capital Territory through capital investments and improved service delivery.
The Senate’s decision followed the presentation of the bill’s general principles at plenary on Wednesday by the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele.
Bamidele, who moved for the suspension of Senate Standing Rule 7(1) to expedite consideration of the bill, explained that the appropriation proposal seeks to authorize withdrawals from the FCT Statutory Revenue Fund to fund personnel, overhead, and capital projects in the territory.
Over 70% of the budget is allocated to capital expenditure
He stated that the 2025 FCT statutory appropriation bill allocates N150 billion for personnel costs and N343 billion for overhead expenses.
The remaining N1.2 trillion is earmarked for capital projects aimed at enhancing infrastructure and service delivery within the Federal Capital Territory.
This implies that over 70% of the budget is allocated to capital expenditure, a move Bamidele said is in line with the administration’s goal of completing ongoing infrastructure projects and delivering essential services to FCT residents.
He added that while the bulk of the resources would go into completing existing projects, a few new but critical projects had also been included.
What Senators are saying
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, several lawmakers who contributed to the debate applauded the capital-heavy nature of the budget and called for its speedy passage.
- Senator Mohammed Monguno noted that prioritizing ongoing projects would prevent the waste associated with abandoned infrastructure.
- Senator Oyelola Ashiru described the budget as “balanced,” given its 70:30 capital-to-recurrent ratio. He said this focus on capital spending was in line with Nigeria’s current infrastructure deficit and the need for development in the FCT.
- Senator Adetokunbo Abiru echoed similar sentiments, stating that the budget reflects a strong developmental agenda. However, he called on the Senate to seek clarification on how the administration intends to finance the capital component of the budget.
- Senator Victor Umeh praised the performance of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, stating that the FCT is already witnessing a physical transformation under his leadership. He emphasized the need for the administration to expand infrastructure to adjoining communities, which would help reduce the high cost of housing in central Abuja.
The bill was referred to the Senate Committee on FCT to revert in a week’s time.
