President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is set to present Nigeria’s ₦54.46 trillion 2026 Appropriation Bill to a joint session of the National Assembly on Friday, December 19, 2025, in what is widely expected to be a defining fiscal statement of his reform-driven administration.
The 2026 budget is projected as a consolidation budget, building on ongoing macroeconomic reforms while prioritising economic growth, national security, infrastructure development, human capital advancement, and social protection within a challenging global and domestic economic environment.
Key Sectors the 2026 Budget Seeks to Strengthen
- Security and Defence
Security is expected to remain a top priority, with increased funding aimed at strengthening military and internal security operations, expanding intelligence gathering and surveillance capabilities, tackling banditry, insurgency, kidnapping, and oil theft, and improving the welfare, equipment, and training of security personnel. This focus reflects the administration’s recognition that sustainable economic growth cannot thrive without national security. - Infrastructure and Capital Projects
The budget is expected to deepen investments in road and rail networks, power generation, transmission, and distribution, ports, logistics and transport corridors, as well as housing and urban development. Infrastructure spending remains central to boosting productivity, reducing business costs, and unlocking private sector investment. - Power and Energy Sector Reform
In alignment with ongoing electricity sector reforms, the 2026 budget is projected to; support grid expansion and system stability, encourage renewable and off-grid energy solutions, strengthen regulatory institutions, and improve access to reliable electricity for households and industries. The power sector remains critical to industrialisation and job creation. - Education and Human Capital Development
The education sector is expected to receive strategic attention through improved funding for basic and tertiary education, enhanced teacher training and capacity development, infrastructure upgrades in public schools, and expanded skills acquisition programmes, including digital learning and vocational education. The emphasis is on building a future-ready and globally competitive workforce. - Healthcare and Social Services
Healthcare spending is projected to focus on revitalising primary healthcare, expanding health insurance coverage, strengthening disease prevention and maternal care, and improving medical infrastructure and workforce support. The overarching goal is to reduce out-of-pocket expenses and improve access to quality healthcare services. - Agriculture and Food Security
To address inflationary pressures and food supply challenges, the budget is expected to support mechanised farming and irrigation, strengthen agricultural value chains and agro-processing, improve access to credit for farmers, and enhance storage, transportation, and national food security systems. Agriculture remains a vital pillar for employment generation and rural development. - Social Protection and Poverty Reduction
The 2026 budget is projected to sustain targeted social intervention programmes, conditional cash transfers, youth employment and MSME support initiatives, as well as empowerment programmes for women and vulnerable groups. These measures aim to cushion the social impact of reforms while promoting inclusive growth. - Fiscal Discipline and Revenue Mobilisation
Beyond expenditure priorities, the budget is expected to reinforce non-oil revenue expansion, improve tax system efficiency and compliance, reduce fiscal leakages, and ensure debt sustainability through prudent borrowing and sound fiscal management.
Big Picture
The 2026 budget is shaping up as a strong policy signal of reform continuity, balancing fiscal responsibility with development imperatives. Its ultimate success will depend not on size alone, but on disciplined implementation, transparency, and measurable outcomes, as closely monitored by Governance Today Nigeria magazine and online news.
