Senate Rejects Ministry’s 2025 Budget Proposal

The Nigerian Senate has rejected the N9 billion budget proposal for 2025 submitted by the Ministry of Information and National Orientation, citing it as inadequate for the sector’s needs.

During the ministry’s budget defence held on Tuesday at the National Assembly in Abuja, lawmakers noted that the allocation fell short of addressing the requirements of the ministry, which oversees numerous parastatals critical to national orientation and information dissemination.

Senator Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan, PDP, representing Kogi State, cited funding on reorientation in South Africa as over 400 billion Naira equivalent in Rand to fund public information systems, but Nigeria allocates few resources.

Also, Senator Abdul Ningi, PDP, representing Bauchi Central, described the proposed allocation as inadequate.

The Chair of the Senate Committee on Information and National Orientation, Senator Ken Eze, resolved to invite the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Atiku Bagudu, to appear before the Committee along with the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, to discuss ways to propose realistic budget allocations to the Ministry and its agencies in line with the duties they perform of enlightenment on government policies and reorientation of Nigerians, especially the youths.

The Nigerian National Assembly is still considering the budget proposals of the Ministries, Departments, and Agencies of Government (MDAs) as the budget defence continues for the allocations in the 2025 budget estimates.

Since last week, MDAs have all been appearing before the Senate and House of Representatives joint committees to defend their budget.

The National Assembly intends to end the defence on time to enable the Appropriation Committees of the two chambers to work on the details and make the clean copy available for passage and subsequent presidential assent.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Solomon Adeola Olamilekan, said the 2025 Appropriation Bill is expected to be passed by January 31, 2025, following thorough deliberations and consultations.