Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) are expected to begin the 2025 budget defence at the House of Representatives today.

The Committee on Appropriations Chairman, Abubakar Bichi (APC, Kano), said after a meeting with standing committee chairmen yesterday that the budget defence will last until January 17, with the reports likely to be harmonised on January 22, and the committee’s report would be laid at plenary on January 31.

President Bola Tinubu on December 18 presented his N49.7 trillion budget proposal for 2025 to the National Assembly Bichi said: “We just had an integration meeting today for the 2025 Appropriation Bill the President presented to us.

“By tomorrow (today) we’ll start the budget defence with the MDAs. “We are going to do our budget defence and we will likely harmonise on January 22. “We are going to study the budget; all our committees will study the budget.

“I believe the budget is for Nigerians, for our development – infrastructure and other important things and I am sure Nigerians will be happy with it.”

He said they would scrutinise the proposed budgetary expenditure, revenues and other issues contained in the Appropriation Bill.