Approve N895bn supplementary budget, President Buhari asks N’assembly

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has called on the national assembly to approve a supplementary budget of N895 billion.

The president’s request was made known by Senate President Ahmad Lawan on the floor of the upper legislative chamber on Tuesday.

The federal executive council on June 9 approved the said sum.

The budget is meant to boost military operations and facilitate procurement of COVID-19 vaccine.

On December 31, 2020, Buhari signed the 2021 appropriation bill of N13.59 trillion into law.

Buhari had presented the initial 2021 budget proposal of N13.08 trillion to a joint sitting of the national assembly on October 8.

Speaking after FEC approved the sum, Zainab Ahmed, finance minister, said there is an urgent need for the procurement of vaccines.

“Having noted the need for the urgent procurement of vaccines and also the need for funding, to ensure that Nigeria is able to meet its commitment under the Nigerian Comprehensive AIDS programme, as well as the urgent need to specifically enhance the capacity of our military and para military agencies to tackle the various security challenges that we currently have in the country,” she had said.

“The council on that note approved the 2021 supplementary appropriation bill, in an aggregate expenditure of N895,842,462,917.”