By Our Correspondent

National News – President Bola Tinubu has submitted the 2026 statutory budget of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to the Nigerian Senate, seeking legislative approval and confirmation of key appointments.

The budget transmission also included a request for the Senate to screen and confirm Mr Taiwo Oyedele as Minister of State for Finance, replacing Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite.

Additionally, Tinubu recommended former Rivers South-East senator, Magnus Abe, as chairman of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).

The letters containing the budget proposal and nominations were officially read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during plenary, marking the resumption of the upper chamber from a three-week recess.

Under Nigeria’s Constitution, the National Assembly holds legislative authority over the FCT, making Senate approval essential for the territory’s budget.

Last year, the 2025 FCTA Appropriation Bill, valued at N1.7 trillion, underwent a similar approval process.

According to Tinubu’s submission, the 2026 FCT budget prioritizes healthcare services, youth empowerment, job creation, education infrastructure, social welfare programs, and enhanced agricultural productivity.

The budget aims to stimulate socio-economic development within the capital and lift residents out of poverty.

The budget now moves to relevant committees in the National Assembly for detailed scrutiny before final passage.

Tinubu also requested the Senate to confirm Oyedele, a 50-year-old economist, accountant, and public policy expert from Ikaram, Akoko, Ondo State.

Oyedele previously served as chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms and spent 22 years at PwC, rising to Fiscal Policy Partner and Africa Tax Leader.

Other nominations submitted for Senate approval include Paul Yaro Jezhi, former Trade Union Congress chairman in Kaduna State, and Sunday Adebayo Babalola, former deputy director at the defunct Department of Petroleum Resources, both as non-executive commissioners of the NUPRC.

The submissions are now referred to the Senate Committee on Petroleum Upstream for legislative review and approval.

With these strategic appointments and the FCT budget, President Tinubu seeks to drive fiscal reforms, strengthen governance, and enhance development outcomes for residents of Nigeria’s capital territory.