Growing concerns over legislative oversight have emerged nationwide as state assemblies across Nigeria hastily approve their 2026 budgets, often returning appropriation bills to governors virtually unchanged.
Investigations show that 34 states have proposed combined budgets totaling ₦34.63 trillion for 2026, reflecting a 54.4 per cent increase from the ₦22 trillion appropriated in 2025. Critics argue that the speed and uniformity of the approvals signal weakening checks and balances, with legislatures increasingly yielding to executive dominance.
In several states, including Edo, Ekiti and Enugu, lawmakers passed budget proposals without altering a single figure. In Imo State, the House of Assembly approved a ₦1.44 trillion budget within 24 hours of its presentation, raising questions about the depth of review conducted by legislators.
Observers note that many governors submitted their budgets late in December, after waiting for signals from the Federal Government’s fiscal framework. The compressed timeline allowed governors to secure swift passage and assent to trillion-naira budgets, often before lawmakers could thoroughly interrogate revenue assumptions, spending priorities or debt implications.
While some politicians describe the rapid approvals as evidence of cordial executive–legislative relations, analysts warn that the trend reflects deeper institutional weaknesses. They argue that state budgets are increasingly becoming executive wish lists rather than carefully scrutinised policy documents tailored to local socio-economic realities.
The trend mirrors developments at the federal level. The 2026–2028 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP), which should anchor the budget process, were submitted months behind schedule. Despite this breach of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, the National Assembly passed the framework within three days, retaining key parameters despite expert warnings.
Similarly, the 2026 Appropriation Bill has moved swiftly through the National Assembly, with critics lamenting the absence of rigorous debate. Analysts fear that such haste undermines fiscal credibility and weakens legislative oversight.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Adeola Olamilekan, acknowledged discrepancies in the 2026 budget figures and defended the controversial repeal and re-enactment of the 2024 and 2025 budgets. He argued that overlapping budget cycles had eroded fiscal discipline and that reforms were necessary to restore order.
However, concerns persist that extending the 2025 budget into 2026 and rolling over a significant portion of capital expenditure contradicts the stated goal of eliminating overlap.
Across states, budget passage timelines have varied but remained notably swift. Delta, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo and Enugu all completed their budget cycles within weeks, with minimal amendments. In the South-East, most assemblies approved executive proposals with little resistance, while Rivers and Borno states are yet to present their 2026 estimates.
Despite rising spending projections, budget performance remains weak. Reports show that many states struggle to achieve even 60 per cent budget implementation, with capital expenditure—critical to development—often performing below 50 per cent. Analysts blame unrealistic revenue projections and inadequate legislative scrutiny.
Experts have warned that Nigeria’s budgeting process has effectively lost its calendar, undermining planning, accountability and investor confidence. Seun Onigbinde of BudgIT described the system as reactive and opaque, cautioning that without predictable timelines and robust oversight, budgets risk becoming ineffective policy tools.
While some former officials argue that extensive groundwork precedes budget presentations, others maintain that late submissions by executives and political partisanship within assemblies are major contributors to the erosion of budgetary discipline.
As Nigeria heads into another fiscal year, analysts stress that the true test of governance lies not in the speed of budget passage but in the quality of scrutiny, execution and accountability that follows.
