Amid tight security at the National Assembly complex President Bola Tinubu, and with federal lawmakers welcoming him with an unofficial anthem, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Wednesday, presented a N49.8 trillion budget estimate to the National Assembly.
Unexpectedly, as the President mounted the rostrum to give a peep into what the federal government planned to earn and spend in 2025, lawmakers stood up to welcome him with applause, and began singing his praise.
Angry Nigerians took them to the cleaners on social media for singing the political refrain “On your mandate, we shall stand”.
President Tinubu assured Nigerians of better days ahead as economic reforms yield positive results. He said there have been noticeable signals of improved security, education, and health care, as well as a 3.46 per cent GDP growth in the third quarter of 2024.
During the presentation of the N49.8 trillion 2025 Appropriation Bill to the joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives, he attributed the successes recorded so far in economic reforms to the patience, resilience, and tolerance of Nigerians in supporting the process.
He projected an expenditure bill of N49.8 trillion, which is 35 per cent higher than the N28 trillion budget of 2024. The new budget will prioritise education, healthcare, and security.
President Tinubu said the 2025 budget will focus on restoration, securing peace, and rebuilding prosperity. He said this reflects the core vision of the Renewed Hope Agenda, which is to improve Nigerians’ livelihoods by strengthening social and physical infrastructure and ensuring inclusivity in reaching development goals.
“The 2025 Budget Proposal again reinforces our administration’s roadmap to secure peace, prosperity, and hope for a greater future for our beloved nation. This budget, christened “Budget of Restoration: Securing Peace, Rebuilding Prosperity,” strikes the core of our Renewed Hope Agenda and demonstrates our commitment to stabilising the economy, improving lives, and repositioning our country for more outstanding performance.
“The journey of economic renewal and institutional development, which we began 18 months ago as a nation, is very much underway. It is not a journey we chose but one we had to embark on for Nigeria to have a real chance at greatness. I thank every Nigerian for embarking on this journey of REFORMS and TRANSFORMATION with us.
“The road of reforms is now clearly upon us, and as the President of this blessed nation, I know this less-travelled road has not been easy. That there have been difficulties and sacrifices. They will not be in vain. And we must keep faith with the process to arrive at our collectively desired destination,” the President said.
President Tinubu noted that the 2025 budget will focus on restoration and seek to consolidate the key policies instituted to restructure the economy to boost human capital development, increase the volume of trade and investments, bolster oil and gas production, get the manufacturing sector humming again, and ultimately increase the competitiveness of our economy.
He said the ongoing economic reforms would not be reversed; instead, they would be strengthened to build on the gains of stimulating the economy to be more robust, equitable, predictable, and globally competitive.
“We do not intend to depart from this critical path to strengthen the Nigerian economy. Just as I believe in the resilience of our economy to withstand the current challenges, I also strongly believe in the resilience of the Nigerian people. Again, I summon the unstoppable Nigerian spirit to lead us on as we work to rebuild the fabric of our economy and existence.
“The improvements we witnessed in the 2024 budget have led us into the 2025 budget. The goals of advancing national security, creating economic opportunities, investing in our youthful population, infrastructure development, and national re-orientation form the core of the 2025 budget. But more than that, this will lay a solid foundation for Nigeria’s future growth trajectory,” President Tinubu stated.
The President told the lawmakers that the Nigerian economy was gradually rebounding.
“I report today that our economy is responding positively to stimulus. We aim to further stimulate the economy by implementing targeted fiscal stimulus packages through public expenditures and specific non-inflationary spending.
“The reforms we have instituted are beginning to yield results. Nigerians will soon experience a better and more functional economy. Global economic growth for the outgoing year 2024 was projected at 3.2 per cent, and against predictions, our country made significant progress.
“Our economy grew by 3.46 per cent in the third quarter of 2024, up from 2.54 per cent in the third quarter of 2023. Our Foreign Reserves now stand at nearly 42 billion US dollars, providing a robust buffer against external shocks.
“Our rising exports are reflected in the current trade surplus, which now stands at 5.8 trillion naira, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. These clear results of gradual recovery, among others, reflect the resilience of our economy and the impact of deliberate policy choices we made from the outset,” he added.
President Tinubu said the 2024 budget recorded remarkable milestones. One of them was the 14.55 trillion naira in revenue realised by the third quarter, representing 75 per cent of the target for the year.
Also, expenditures of 21.60 trillion naira were recorded until the third quarter, representing 85 percent of the year’s target.
The President noted that the outlook for 2025 would be more favourable for Nigerians.
“The 2025 Budget seeks to restore macroeconomic stability, enhance the business environment, foster inclusive growth, employment, and poverty reduction, and promote equitable income distribution and human capital development. Our budgetary allocations reflect the administration’s strategic priorities, especially in implementing the Renewed Hope Agenda and its developmental objectives.
“In 2025, we are targeting 34.82 trillion naira in revenue to fund the budget. Government expenditure in the same year is projected to be 47.90 trillion naira, including 15.81 trillion naira for debt servicing. A total of 13.08 trillion naira, or 3.89 per cent of GDP, will make up the budget deficit.
“This is an ambitious but necessary budget to secure our future,” the President added.
President Tinubu said the government would target inflation and bring it to 15 per cent, improve foreign exchange from approximately 1,700 naira per US dollar to 1,500 naira, and assume a base crude oil production assumption of 2.06 million barrels per day (mbd).
The President explained that other expectations for 2025 will include reduced importation of petroleum products alongside increased export of finished petroleum products, bumper harvests driven by enhanced security, reduced reliance on food imports, increased foreign exchange inflows through foreign portfolio investments, higher crude oil output and exports, and a substantial reduction in upstream oil and gas production costs.
“The Budget projects inflation will decline from the current rate of 34.6 per cent to 15 per cent next year, while the exchange rate will improve from approximately 1,700 naira per US dollar to 1,500 naira and a base crude oil production assumption of 2.06 million barrels per day (mbd),” he said.
President Tinubu said the priority areas for the 2025 Budget allocations are defence and Security, N4.91 trillion; infrastructure, N4.06 trillion; health, N2.48 trillion; and Education, N3.52 trillion.
“Our administration has disbursed 34 billion naira to over 300,000 students via the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND). In the 2025 Budget, we have provided 826.90 billion naira for infrastructure development in the educational sector. This provision also includes those for the Universal Basic Education (UBEC) and the nine new higher educational institutions,” he noted.
