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From Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja
The Senate on Wednesday passed the 2026 budget proposal for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), totalling N2,201,098,676,153, for second reading after lawmakers commended the strong emphasis on capital development projects across the territory.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio had on Tuesday plenary, read a letter from President Bola Tinubu conveying the 2026 FCT Appropriation Bill for the Red Chamber’s consideration and passage. The bill seeks authorisation for withdrawals from the FCT Administration’s Statutory Revenue Fund to finance the activities of the territory from January 1 to December 31, 2026.
Leading the debate on the bill, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele said the proposal reflects the Federal Capital Territory Administration’s plan to accelerate infrastructure development and improve service delivery across Abuja and the satellite towns.
A breakdown of the proposal shows that N165,775,220,839 is earmarked for personnel costs, N378,231,411,697 for overhead expenditure, while N1,657,092,043,617 is allocated to capital projects.
The capital component represents the largest share of the budget, accounting for the bulk of the planned spending for the year.
Contributing to the debate, Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau described the proposal as development-driven, noting that the significant allocation to capital projects demonstrated a strong commitment to infrastructure expansion in the nation’s capital.
“N1.6 trillion for capital development in a budget of about N2.2 trillion clearly shows that it is capital project–oriented. It is commendable, very commendable,” he said.
The lawmaker added that the proposal reflects the efforts of the current administration in driving development in the territory.
“This budget has further demonstrated the good job this administration is doing under the President. The minister is doing well and the President is also doing well,” he said.
Also speaking, Senate President Godswill Akpabio commended the leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress for appointing the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, describing him as the right person for the job.
He noted that the scale of infrastructure development currently ongoing across the FCT had become evident to residents of the territory, adding that the outcome of the recent area council elections in the territory, where the ruling party won five out of the six councils, suggested that residents were satisfied with the administration’s performance.
Akpabio also commended Wike for initiating capital projects not only within the city centre but also in previously neglected communities on the outskirts of the capital. According to him, the expansion of infrastructure to those areas is helping to bridge long-standing development gaps not just within the city centre, but also in the outskirts.
Following the debate, the Senate referred the bill to the Committee on the Federal Capital Territory for further legislative scrutiny to report back in one week.
