2017 Budget

The 2017 budget of the National Assembly includes an eye-popping N2.7 billion for the purchase of “utility vehicles” for the Senate alone.

The 2017 budget proposal, termed "Budget of Recovery and Growth", was first presented before a joint committee of the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari on December 14, 2016.

The report was presented on Tuesday by the chairman of the appropriations committee, Danjuma Goje, almost five months after President Muhammadu Buhari presented the budget proposal to a joint session of the National Assembly in December 2016.

Senate majority Ahmed Lawan, however, pointed out that the police raid on the residence of the chairman of the Senate committee on appropriation, Danjuma Goje, had slowed down the progress made on the budget.

Police spokesman Jimoh Moshood said items recovered from Goje's house include “money, documents and Laptop”, adding that “none of the items include 2017 budget document.”

President Buhari noted that the new Economic Recovery and Growth Plan, EGRP, focuses on agriculture in order to ensure adequate food security, as well as energy, industrialisation and social investment.