Buhari presents 2019 budget to National Assembly on Wednesday

President Muhammadu Buhari will present the 2019 appropriation bill to a joint session of the National Assembly on Wednesday, December 19, 2018.

This was disclosed in a letter that the president addressed to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara. Dogara read the letter on the floor of the lower legislative chamber during plenary on Thursday, December 13, 2018.

"May I crave the kind indulgence of the House of Representatives to grant me the slot of 11 hours on Wednesday, 19th December, 2018 to formally present the 2019 appropriation bill in a joint session and lay before the NASS the 2019 budget proposal," Buhari said.

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the bill during a special meeting at the Presidential Villa on Friday, December 7, 2018.

The passage of budgets has been controversial over the past two years especially regarding how late they're usually finally signed into law.

Even though President Buhari presented the 2018 budget to the National Assembly in November 2017 with the aim of making sure it was already signed into law by January 2018, lawmakers didn't pass it until May 16, 2018.