The House of Representatives recently halted deliberations on the Budget proposal of 38 (thirty eight) MDAs that were submitted by President Muhammadu Buhari in his letter to the House of Representatives. In the President’s letter to the House, which was read by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, the President stated that his directives to have these MDAs submit their budget proposals were in line with the Fiscal Responsibility Act, of 2007, which provides for the submission of the budget proposals by these Agencies.

The budget proposals submitted by the President are the first for each of the MDAs to be reviewed by the members of the House of Representatives since Nigeria’s democracy. In the previous administrations, these MDAs had not submitted their Appropriation Bills to the National Assembly for passage pursuant to Part IV of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007.

The House of Representatives introduced the Statutory Appropriation Bills of these parastatals for the first time at its plenary session of July 20, 2016, and referred them to various committees for further legislative input on July 21, 2016, subsequent to the debate led by the Majority Leader, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila. In this debate, Hon. Gbajabiamila stated that it would be the first time the budget of these Corporations and Agencies were presented before the Legislature since the advent of democracy in Nigeria.

However, the House of Representatives had cited non-compliance on the part of the MDAs to provide a detailed breakdown of the expenditures in their budget, which resulted to a halt in the legislative deliberations. The House further explained that such lacuna could be attributed to the fact that this exercise was happening for the first time.

The list below shows the MDAs and their proposed budget submitted to the House of Representative: –

1. Nigerian National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure – N 4,729, 061,172. 00 (Four Billion, Seven Hundred and Twenty-Nine Million, Sixty-One Thousand, One Hundred Seventy Two Naira) only;

2. Nigerian Airspace Management Agency – N19,787,898,750 (Nineteen Billion, Seven Hundred and Eighty-Seven Million, Eight Hundred and Ninety-Eight Thousand, Seven Hundred and Fifty Naira) only;

3. Nigerian Shippers Council – N14,764,366,886.88 (Fourteen Billion, Seven Hundred and Sixty Four Million, Three Hundred and Sixty-Six Thousand, Eight Hundred and Eighty-Six Naira, Eighty-Eight Kobo) only;

4. Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) – N39, 011,586,805 (Thirty-Nine Billion, Eleven Million, Five Hundred and Eighty-Six Thousand, Eight Hundred and Five Naira) only;
5. Raw Materials Research and Development Council – N13,734,063,793.86 (Thirteen Billion, Seven Hundred and Thirty-Four Million, Sixty-Three Thousand, Seven Hundred and Ninety-Three Naira, Eighty Six Kobo) only;
6. National Sugar Development Council – N4,740,700,000.00 (Four Billion Seven Hundred and Forty Million Seven Hundred Thousand Naira) only;

7. Nigerian Postal Service – N34,365,140,382.00 (Thirty-Four Billion, Three Hundred and Sixty-Five Million, One Hundred and Forty Thousand, Three Hundred and Eighty Two Naira) only;
8. Nigerian Ports Authority – N150, 944,170.00 (One Hundred and Fifty Million Nine Hundred and Forty-Four Thousand One Hundred and Seventy Naira) only;
9. Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria – N72, 577, 763,544.00 (Seventy-Two Billion Five Hundred and Seventy-Seven Million Seven Hundred and Sixty-Three Thousand Five Hundred and Forty-Four Naira) only;

10. Securities and Exchange Commission – N8, 150, 000, 000. 00. (Eight Billion, One Hundred and Fifty Million, Naira) only ;

11. Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation – N1, 224,334,200.00 (One Billion Two Hundred and Twenty Four Million Three Hundred and Thirty Four Thousand Two Hundred Naira) only;

12. Nigerian Communications Commission – N70, 672,492.00 (Seventy Million, Six Hundred and Seventy-Two Thousand Four Hundred and Ninety-Two Naira) only;
13. National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control – N7, 217,261,891.00 (Seven Billion Two Hundred and Seventeen Million Two Hundred and Sixty-One Thousand Eight Hundred and Ninety One Naira) only;

14. Nigerian Customs Service – N81, 213, 310, 000. 00. (Eighty-One Billion, Two hundred and Thirteen Million, Three Hundred and Ten Thousand Naira) only ;

15. National Broadcasting Commission – N1, 789,842,464 (One Billion Seven Hundred and Eighty Nine Million Eight Hundred and Forty-Two Thousand, Four Hundred and Sixty Four Naira) only;
16. National Insurance Commission – N6, 212, 417, 439. 00 (Six Billion, Two Hundred and Twelve million, Four Hundred and Seventeen thousand, Four Hundred and Thirty- Nine Thousand Naira) only;

17. News Agency of Nigeria – N1, 647, 210, 647. 81. (One Billion, Six Hundred and Forty-Seven Million, Two Hundred and Ten Thousand, Six Hundred and Forty-Seven Naira, Eighty-One Kobo) only;
18. Nigerian Copyright Commission – N1, 143, 855, 045. 02. (One Billion, One Hundred and Forty-Three Million, Eight Hundred and Fifty-Five Thousand, Fourty-Five Naira, Two Kobo) only;

19. Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation – N15, 140, 414, 036. 00. (Fifteen Billion, One Hundred and Forty Million, Four Hundred and Fourteen Thousand, Thirty-six Naira) only ;

20. Bureau of Public Enterprises Statutory Appropriation Bill (Not reflected on the Order Paper)

21. Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation – N 26, 371, 000. 000. 00, (Twenty-Six Billion, Three Hundred and Seventy-One Million Naira) only;
22. Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority Statutory – 28, 255, 000, 000. 00, (Twenty-Eight Billion, Two Hundred and Fifty-Five Million Naira) only;

23. Federal Inland Revenue Service – N143, 522, 430, 526.00 (One Hundred Forty-Three Billion, Five Hundred and Twenty-Two Million, Four Hundred and Thirty Thousand, Five Hundred and Twenty-Six Naira) only;
24. Nigeria Immigration Service – N1, 868,500,000.00 (One Billion Eight Hundred and Sixty Eight Million Five Hundred Thousand Naira) only;

25. Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission – N7, 775, 914, 599. 69 (Seven Billion, Seven Hundred and Seventy-Five Million, Nine Hundred and Fourteen Thousand, Five Hundred and Ninety-Nine Naira, Sixty Nine Kobo) only;
26. Central Bank of Nigeria – N420, 787. 000. 70 (Four Hundred and Twenty Million, Seven Hundred and Eighty-Seven Naira, Seventy Kobo) only;
27. Radio Nigeria – N9, 146, 279, 251. (Nine Billion, One Hundred and Fourty-Six Million, Two Hundred and Seventy-Nine Thousand, Two Hundred and Fifty-One Naira) only

28. Federal Housing Authority – N41, 416, 059. 09 (Forty-One Million, Four Hundred and Sixteen Thousand, Fifty-Nine Naira, Nine Kobo) only;
29. Nigerian Television Authority – N 6, 906, 773, 879. 00 Six Billion, Nine Hundred and Six Million, Seven Hundred and Seventy-Three Thousand, Eight Hundred and Seventy-Nine Naira) only;
30. National Automotive Design and Development Council – N9, 310, 000, 000. 00 (Nine Billion, Three Hundred and Ten Million Naira) only ;

31. Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority – N6, 281, 731, 278. 00 (Six Billion, Two Hundred and Eighty-One Million, Seven Hundred and Thirty-One Thousand, Two Hundred and Seventy-Eight Naira) only;

32. National Business and Technical Examinations Board – N2, 258,150,235.00 (Two Billion Two Hundred and Fifty Eight Million One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Two Hundred and Thirty Five Naira only;

33. Federal Mortgage Bank – N81, 167,132,850.00 (Eighty One Billion One Hundred and Sixty-Seven Million One Hundred and Thirty Two Thousand Eight Hundred and Fifty Naira) only;
34. National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency – N372, 978,503.00 (Three Hundred and Seventy two Million Nine Hundred and Seventy Eight Thousand Five Hundred and Three Naira) only;

35. Industrial Training Fund – N39,004, 613, 488 (Thirty-Nine Billion, Four Million, Six Hundred and Thirteen Thousand, Four Hundred and Eighty-Eight Naira) only;

36. Corporate Affairs Commission – N15,019,469,986.00 (Fifteen Billion Nineteen Million Four Hundred and Sixty Nine Thousand Nine Hundred and Eighty-Six Naira) only;
37. Standards Organization of Nigeria – N29, 329,273,597 (Twenty-Nine Billion, Three Hundred and Twenty- Nine Million, Two Hundred and Seventy- Three Thousand, Five Hundred and Ninety-Seven Naira) only;
38. Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority the Total sum of N1,509,090,000.00 (One Billion, Five Hundred and Nine Million, Ninety Thousand Naira) only;

These Appropriation Bills have passed second reading at the House of Representatives and have been referred to relevant Committees for review. However, in line with the provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, these Bills should have been part of the 2016 National Budget already assented to by the President earlier in the year, rather they are being submitted separately several months after. Nevertheless, the Bills are expected to pass when the National Assembly reconvenes at the end of its recess.