2027 budget: Experts seek reconciliation of unimplemented appropriations
The Federal Government should proceed with preparations for the 2027 Appropriation Bill but must first provide a transparent account of the implementation of previous budgets, economic experts have said.
Daily Trust reports that the Budget Office of the Federation has completed the draft 2027–2029 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper in July 2026 and subsequently directed Ministries, Departments and Agencies to submit their 2027 personnel-cost proposals ahead of the planned presentation of the budget to the National Assembly this October.
However, analysts warned that preparing another budget while the 2025 and 2026 appropriations remain incompletely implemented could deepen concerns over Nigeria’s overlapping budget cycles, weak releases and inadequate reporting.
It would be recalled that the National Assembly had recently extended implementation of the capital component of the 2025 budget to December 31st 2026 amidst widespread concern over what analysts describe as fiscal indiscipline.
Economist and investment banker Adegboyega Adebajo said preparing the 2027 budget was necessary because government must plan prospectively for salaries, debt service, transfers, new projects and other obligations.
“Budget execution is not, and should not be treated as, a condition precedent to preparing the next budget,” he said.
He, however, warned that the new budget must not become a mechanism for concealing unspent or unexplained funds from previous appropriations.
Adebajo called for an audited reconciliation of the 2025–26 budget cycle before the 2027 proposal is presented, showing funds released, legally committed, paid, unpaid but validly due, executed projects and cancelled or re-scoped programmes.
He said such a transition framework would improve fiscal transparency and prevent new appropriations from becoming a “blanket refuge” for unresolved obligations.
Economist Dr Aliyu Ilias said Nigerians were yet to receive sufficient information on the level of implementation of the 2025 and 2026 budgets.
“Ideally, by the time the government is going to present the 2027 budget, it is supposed to tell us how much of the previous budgets have been implemented,” he said.
Ilias also argued that the challenge appeared to be more about spending priorities and disbursement than revenue, noting that the government had reported increased revenues from various sources.
Financial analyst Sani Oyewale questioned the practice of moving to new budgets while earlier appropriations remained unsettled. He argued that capital projects could legitimately be rolled over because major infrastructure projects often require several years to complete.
“Capital budgets should not run on an annual basis. Most projects take three to five years before meaningful evaluation,” he said.
Economic analyst Dr Wilson Agaba agreed that a 2027 budget was unavoidable but described the simultaneous implementation of multiple budgets as a major weakness in fiscal management.
He said the National Assembly should strengthen its oversight role by demanding clear explanations of budget implementation and making its findings available to the public.
Agaba also raised concerns about the real value of increased government revenue, arguing that naira depreciation had significantly increased the cost of imported materials and infrastructure projects.
Meanwhile, some lawmakers have previously criticised the multiple-budget system. In December 2025, Senator Danjuma Goje said the practice was unacceptable and should end, while Senator Olalere Oyewumi urged the government to present realistic budgets to reduce rollovers and non-implementation.
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