Security was significantly tightened at the National Assembly Complex on Friday as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu prepared to present the 2026 Appropriation Bill to a joint sitting of the Senate and House of Representatives.
The enhanced security followed a formal request from the President to both chambers of the National Assembly, asking that the budget presentation be scheduled for Friday afternoon. Lawmakers had earlier approved the 2026–2028 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/FSP), which outlines a proposed budget size of ₦54.46 trillion, with projected retained revenue of ₦34.33 trillion.
Ahead of the presentation, activities within and around the legislative complex were largely shut down. Business owners, including banks and food vendors operating within the premises, were directed by management not to open for the day.
Reports from the complex indicated that all access points were under strict surveillance, with operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police Force, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) deployed to man the gates.
Entry into the National Assembly was restricted to essential staff, accredited security personnel, and a limited number of journalists, all of whom were required to display valid identification tags.
The joint session is expected to be presided over by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, alongside the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen.
The 2026 budget presentation will be President Tinubu’s third before the National Assembly since he assumed office on May 29, 2023. The President was expected to arrive at the complex later in the afternoon.
