The Federal Government yesterday defended the delayed publication of recent Quarterly Budget Implementation Reports, saying the fiscal year is determined by legislative authority rather than the Januaryt-to-December calendar cycle.
In a statement, the Budget Office of the Federation Director-General, Tanimu Yakubu, said while the calendar year follows a fixed 12-month structure, the fiscal year is a legislative construct whose duration and validity are determined by the prevailing appropriation laws enacted by the National Assembly.
According to him, where an Appropriation Act permits spending beyond a standard 12-month cycle, the fiscal year is correspondingly extended in line with legal authorisation.
He said over the years the country’s fiscal administration has operated outside the strict January December framework through statutory extensions, supplementary appropriations, continuing resolutions and Appropriation Repeal and Re-enactment Acts.
Yakubu said: “The recent adjustment in the publication schedule arose principally from the Repeal and Re-enactment process of the 2025 Appropriation Act concluded in December 2025, together with the subsequent extension of the implementation period of the 2025 Budget to June 2026.
“These fiscal adjustments effectively extended the operational lifespan of the 2025 budget beyond the conventional 12-month calendar framework ordinarily associated with a fiscal year.” According to him, the constitution does not impose a rigid fiscal cycle on government spending. Yakubu said: “Sections 80 and 81 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) do not constitutionalise a rigid 12-month fiscal implementation cycle.”
He said once the National Assembly lawfully extends or reenacts expenditure authority, such approvals remain constitutionally valid until their expiration under the law. Yakubu added: “The fiscal year is not necessarily synonymous with the calendar year.
“The calendar year is a fixed chronological construct of twelve months running from January to December. “The fiscal year, however, is a juridical and legislative creation whose duration, commencement, and terminal date are determined by the extant appropriation framework enacted by law.
“Accordingly, where the prevailing Appropriation Act or related legislative instrument authorises expenditure, implementation, or validity beyond the ordinary 12-month cycle, the operative fiscal year correspondingly assumes that legally extended character.” He cited the Supreme Court case of Attorney General of Bendel State v. Attorney General of the Federation, which affirmed the constitutional importance of legislative control over public finances.
He also referenced the Commonwealth case of Attorney-General v. De Keyser’s Royal Hotel Ltd, which established that executive spending powers remain subordinate to statutory authorisations enacted by Parliament. The DG said fiscal extensions have historically been used globally during periods of economic disruptions to sustain projects and stabilise economies.
He recalled that several countries extended budget implementation windows during the aftermath of COVID-19 to address procurement delays, revenue shocks, and continuity of capital projects.
Yakubu added: “The Federal Government remains firmly committed to the principles of open budgeting, fiscal discipline, transparency, constitutional compliance, and accountable public financial management in accordance with global best practices.”
