Executive, NASS Vow To Work Together, Address Budgeting, Development Plan Gaps

…Planning Is A Constitutional Responsibility For All Those In Authority-Sen.Bagudu

…10th NASS Ready To Cooperate, Collaborate with The President, Executive

By Chidinma Obiakor

The National Assembly and the Executive have expressed their commitments to work together and address the gaps between the budget process, implementation and the objectives of National Development plans to ensure proper linkage and coordination to achieve the quest for Nigeria’s development.

This was disclosed by the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu, the Chairman, House Committee on National Planning and Economic Development, his Senate counterpart, Senator Musa Mustapha in their separate remarks at the second day of the Two-Day National Policy Dialogue being held in Abuja on Wednesday.

The Dialogue with the Theme: “The Imperatives Of National Development Plan And Effective Budgeting System For Sustainable Growth Of The Nigerian Economy” was organised by the National Assembly Joint Committee On National Planning And Economic Affairs/Development in partnership with the Offices of the Vice President, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, the Minister of Finance and the Budget Office of the Federation.

In his address, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu noted that, without the support of the National Assembly, the reforms that have been undertaken by the administration wouldn’t have been possible.

He said, “Let me appreciate the support that the committees and also the National Assembly as a body has given to the reforms that have taken place in the last three years, because by every stretch of imagination, they are bold, they are courageous, they are difficult choices and as those whose daily function involves interaction with these constituencies and having to explain, having to defend, one has to appreciate”.

He however informed that, planning is a constitutional responsibility of every person in authority in Nigeria which must not toyed with if the country is to make a meaningful development.

Senator Bagudu added, “National planning in Nigeria is mandated and obligated by the constitution. The further ingredients of the national plan is a whole chapter in our constitution, chapter two of our constitution, fundamental objectives and directive principles of state. It clearly stated that Nigeria is a constitutional federation.

“Section 13, which is the first section of another fundamental objectives and directive principles of state, is a command to all those in authority to work together, observe, and seek to conform to the fundamental objectives or directive principles of state.

“The constitution clearly stated that all those in authority, including legislative, judicial, and executive, have to work together. Equally, the president, vice president, national assembly members, the governance, state assembly members, the office they swore to, the wordings are dictated by the constitution.

“And the wordings include expressly, not just upholding the constitution, but the seven elements of the wardens are to uphold and seek the achievement of governance of the fundamental objectives and directive principles of state. So one can see in those elements that the obligation to work for the achievement of the irreducible minimum of consensus, which is the fundamental objectives, is sanctioned by the constitution. And so what we are doing in national planning which leads to effective budgeting in order to generate sustainable growth is in tandem with our constitution”.

The minister stressed that, Nigeria being a market economy, the Constitution provides a reducible minimum of economic objectives that we should aspire, good security objectives, environmental objectives, educational objectives, social objectives, and even duties of citizens, as well as consistent with constitutional federalism demanding that the three types of government must work together.

Giving an overview, the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on National Planning and Economic Development, Hon. Gboyega Isiaka, stated that, it is a collective responsibilities for the executive, the legislature and all other stakeholders to work towards addressing the gaps and other challenges as regards budgeting and national planning objectives.

He noted that, the 10th National Assembly is always ready to cooperate and collaborate very effectively with the President and the executive arm of government.

He said, “Therefore, the committees follow the same pattern. The Senate and the House Committee on Economic Planning have been following, and some of the ministers have said, the beautiful work being done by the ministry, the coordination and all of that. We feel that we need to collaborate more beyond oversighting and working sessions.

“We are aware, for example, that following the… the fact that the 2026-2030 plan is still taking itself from the prospective plan, the 30-year prospective plan, we know that a lot of work will need to be going into this. I want to be practical in putting that together. We are also aware of the $1 trillion objective economy that the federal government is working on.

“We have had sessions with various MDAs, and we are aware of some of the questions that have been raised about the envelope system of projects. The various reforms that we have going on in the nation, physical regime, monetary regime, and all of that, we are aware of also a number of questions that have been raised about that.

“And in all of this, therefore, we feel that beyond asking questions during oversight, we feel that all of these, and more, that I don’t want to assume begin to go into, is enough for us to bring, to come together, and, you know, the renewable, you know, plan for 2026-2030 is also being put together, and we also want to, you know, be practical in that, so that we can start all from the beginning”.

On his part, the Chairman, Senate Committee on National Planning and Economic Affairs, Senator Musa Mustapha said, it is imperative to address the fundamental pillar of national progress which is to align National Development Plans with the budgeting system to drive sustainable economic growth.

He said, “Our National Development Plan requires meticulous, aligned, and disciplined budgetary support to achieve its set objectives. However, the persistent disconnect between ambitious development plans and actual annual budgetary allocations has historically hindered our growth trajectory.

“As Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Planning and Economie Affairs, I maintain that our developmental aspirations cannot be achieved through disjointed fiscal actions. We must stop treating the budget as merely a document for expenses, but rather as the primary engine for implementing our national development agenda.

“An efficient budget is often regarded as the cornerstone of comprehensive national progress. It allows the government to allocate resources wisely, prioritise development initiatives, and boost economic activity.

“Too often, however, our national planning and budgeting have operated in isolation, leading to inefficient resource distribution and projects that fail to fully benefit Nigerians. We aim to address this gap. Indeed, the goal of this administration is to foster a performance-driven culture in which public resources are used efficiently to support meaningful, sustainable development.

“Our planning process is no longer driven by short-term political expediency but by a clear, strategic roadmap towards a $1 trillion economy by 2030—anchored in grassroots empowerment initiatives such as the Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme and targeted support for our MSMEs.

“This presidential vision is fully reflected in our 2026 Budget of Consolidation, Renewed Resilience and Shared Prosperity, which is grounded in realism, prudence, and strict fiscal discipline. By removing wasteful subsidies, unifying the foreign exchange market, and expanding our non-oi!l revenue base through fair and efficient tax administration, President Tinubu’s reforms have secured a seven-year high in our external reserves and unlocked substantial capital to fund the nation’s real priorities.

“Today, under his guidance, we are spending with purpose—investing trillions in critical infrastructure, food security, student loans, and the modernisation of our security architecture. This is not a budget of mere promises but a powerful statement of national intent. The transformative policies of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu are yielding measurable results, ensuring that the economic recovery already engineered translates directly into a better quality of life for every Nigerian household.

“It is heartening to note that the President is already leading from the front. Under the visionary leadership of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, our national journey over the past few years has been defined by bold, necessary, and sometimes painful choices that are now yielding visible, undeniable results across the federation. Guided by the Renewed Hope Agenda, Mr President has courageously confronted long-standing structural weaknesses, stabilised our economy, rebuilt investor confidence, and laid a durable foundation for an inclusive and dynamic Nigeria”.