Speech by his Excellency, Muhammadu Buhari
President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

at the signing into law of

the 2020 Appropriation Bill.

Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Tuesday, December 17, 2019

PROTOCOLS

1. It is my pleasant duty, today, on my 77th birthday, to sign the 2020 Appropriation Bill into law. I thank the National Assembly, in particular, the Senate President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and indeed all the Distinguished and Honourable Leaders, and Members, for passing the 2020 Appropriation Bill, expeditiously.

2. You will recall, that I laid the 2020 Appropriation Bill before the Joint Session of the National Assembly on 8th October, 2019 and forwarded the 2019 Finance Bill shortly thereafter.

3. I am very pleased that the National Assembly worked uncommonly long hours in the interest of our people and the national economy to ensure detailed legislative review and passage of the Budget within two months.

4. This patriotic zeal adopted by the Ninth National Assembly has restored our budget cycle to a predictable January to December fiscal year.

5. Furthermore, in the twenty years since the return to civilian democracy, this will be just the fourth time that the Federal Budget was passed before the end of the previous year, and this is the earliest.

6. The passage of the Finance Bill, which I am told will be done in the coming days, will also be a landmark achievement worthy of recognition, being the first time, this has been done in the last twenty years.

7. We look forward to receiving this Bill, shortly, for Presidential Assent. Once passed into law, the Finance Bill will support the funding and implementation of the 2020 Budget. We shall sustain this tradition by ensuring that subsequent budgets are also accompanied by a Finance Bill.

8. For these achievements, I must therefore congratulate and thank the Distinguished Senate President, the Right Honourable Speaker and indeed, all members of the Federal Legislature for their commitment and support.

9. I equally thank the Ninth National Assembly for supporting important legislations such as the Deep Offshore and Inland Basin Production Sharing Contract Amendment Act and the 2019 Finance Bill. These laws are vital to the successful implementation of the 2020 Budget.

10. I am aware of the regular high-level discussions that took place, between senior officials of the Executive and the Legislature during this period. I commend this renewed partnership, the mutual understanding as well as collaboration between these two arms of government.

11. Now, we are well positioned to effectively implement the budget and deliver our promises to Nigerians. Businesses will also benefit as they are now in a position to plan more effectively.

12. We have to sustain this harmonious working relationship. I expect that, going forward, this will be the norm.

13. I have directed that efforts be made to ensure the presentation of the 2021 Appropriation Bill to the National Assembly in September 2020. I am confident that all Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies will cooperate with the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning to keep to this timeline.

14. I will work with the Ninth National Assembly to give effect to the constitutional, legislative and other actions that may be necessary to address the various challenges currently associated with our federal budgeting process, including the enactment of an Organic Budget Bill.

15. The 2020 Budget passed by the National Assembly provides for aggregate expenditures of Ten-point-Five-Nine-Four Trillion Naira (N10.594 trillion), an increase of Two Hundred and Sixty-Three-point-Nine-Five Billion Naira (N263.95 billion) over the Executive’s Proposal that was submitted in October 2019. We have examined the adjustments and may revert to the National Assembly with a request for a Virement or other relevant amendments.

16. The Honourable Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning will make a public presentation of the details of the approved budget.

17. With today’s global oil market outlook and our strategic approach to revenue growth, we are optimistic that we will be able to finance the 2020 Budget.

18. However, being a deficit budget, an appropriate 2020 – 2022 Borrowing Plan will be forwarded to the National Assembly, in due course.

19. Mr. Senate President, Right Honourable Speaker, for this submission, I will once again count on your usual cooperation and support by ensuring quick consideration and approval of the Plan.

20. To optimize the desired impact, I have directed the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning and all Federal MDAs to ensure effective implementation of the 2020 Budget.

21. I wish to acknowledge the efforts of the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, the Budget Office of the Federation, and all stakeholders, who collaborated and worked painstakingly, to produce the 2020 Appropriation Bill, that I have just signed into law.

22. I thank you most sincerely for your kind attention.

23. May God continue to bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Bullcrap

So the first plan Being released by the figure head president is a Borrowing plan of now till 2022

A - A

P - Party of

C - Clowns

Assholes!!

Major General Muhammadu Buhari (Rtd) GCFR breaks leadership record in Nigeria.

It is first time since 1999 that appropriation bill is signed in December paying a way for the return of December-January Budget cycle...

I'm very curious and also optimistic about this budget cycle.

This is unprecedented in the history of Nigeria.

God bless our able President President Muhammadu Buhari and his AMIABLE Vice President PROF YEMI OSINBAJO they are doing all they can to make this once battered and raped nation work again.

To a good and better Nigeria we go.

God bless Nigeria.

4. This patriotic zeal adopted by the Ninth National Assembly has restored our budget cycle to a predictable January to December fiscal year. 

Good one from the senate.
Not the criminal that was behaving like an ugly heady god for 4 years,
Slowing down the progress of our darling nation.
The worst senate President in the history of Nigeria.
Thumbs up to the 9th senate.
We are getting there.

Idrisk19:
We appreciate Mr president, May You Live Long Sir

Amen to your prayers.
God bless you real good.
Merry Xmas in advance.

someone SHIULD PLEASE SUMMARIZE IT FOR ME

can they now begin to pay the minimum wage in peace?

There's better Unity in this 9th NASS, both the minority and majority are working together.

Sometimes is better to remain silent and save yourself public embarrassment, Presidents don't write speeches. There are professional speech writers and every President has one.

oluwaahmed:
If I hear say buhari prepare this speech

Government of borrowing and to borrow also continue borrowing with no impact

[s]

post=84996209:
This is unprecedented in the history of Nigeria.

God bless our able President President Muhammadu Buhari and his AMIABLE Vice President PROF YEMI OSINBAJO they are doing all they can to make this once battered and raped nation work again.

To a good and better Nigeria we go.

God bless Nigeria.

[/s]

Abeg who don chop today?

ekaette1621:
someone SHIULD PLEASE SUMMARIZE IT FOR ME

Dem say dem don sign 2020 budget inside 2019!

Samsungx2:
truth be told this Buhari administration as done far better than Jonathan, in terms of managing resources, delivering promises and taking Nigeria out of the shackles that Jonathan deep us into. foreign reserve as increase despite low price of crude oil in the international market, better working environment, increase in power supply, stable exchange rate, eradication of queue at filling stations, upward review of minimum wage, in terms of infrastructure particularly rail way system and upgrade of our airport terminal, stable Price of commodities and many more. I pray that the next President would consolidate on what he had began����

God bless you for this true words.
You are a wise man.

The problem is not even this regime any longer. The problem is that it will take more than a century for a new regime to correct the wrongs done to this country by Buhari and his bunch of looting cabals.

[s]

post=84996373:

Dem say dem don sign 2020 budget!

[/s]

Nigeria has never had it this bad.

If I hear say buhari understand this speech

[s]

solmusdesigns:

[/s]

post=84996209:
This is unprecedented in the history of Nigeria...

You occasionally remind me of the sheep in George Orwell's "Animal Farm." Keep up the good work, hailing hailer!

We appreciate Mr president, May You Live Long Sir

Chongaiman:


You remind of the sheep in George Orwell's "Animal Farm." Keep up the good work, hailing hailer!

Good one Mr Animal Farm!
Keep up the farm work 'farming farmer'!

We the Association of Wailers for Good Governance (AWGG) are tired...over to you the Sai BARBARIANS

Lifeless fc reeling out audio hope of borrowing borrowing budget...

Idrisk19:
We appreciate Mr president, May You Live Long Sir

Amen to your prayers.
God bless you real good.
Merry Xmas in advance.

[s]

post=84996522:

Amen to your prayers.
God bless you real good.
Merry Xmas in advance.

[/s]

[s]

post=84996476:
Good one Mr Animal Farm!
Keep up the farm work 'farming farmer'!

[/s]

All the ones this bastard has been signing. I don't know oo but it has not affect people in my neighborhood in anyway..

Both home an awya reputation don enter ground.

All the travels this ma. Travel?so he has not in anyway discuss about making travel relation with any cou try easy...even go to our embassies..

You go tire comot there.

What a budget, hmmm in deficit.
Deficit or surplus, my God shall supply all my needs.

Kenneth10110:
Government of borrowing and to borrow also continue borrowing with no impact

if you don't have a better way to impact your life no government will Impact anything in your life. Take it or leave it.

I'm still trying to understand what happened to 2019 budget

9jaArea:
There's better Unity in this 9th NASS, both the minority and majority are working together.

Sometimes is better to remain silent and save yourself public embarrassment, Presidents don't write speeches. There are professional speech writers and every President has one.

There was at least one or two occasions that former president Obassanjo wrote his own speeches. Some presidents actually do but you're right about most of them having professional speech writers