Nigeria, Oct. 21 -- The House of Representatives has passed, for second reading, a bill seeking to amend the 1999 Constitution to compel the President to present annual budget estimates to the National Assembly within a fixed timeframe.

The proposed legislation aims to institutionalise timely budget presentation and restore Nigeria's January-December budget cycle, which has suffered disruptions since President Bola Tinubu assumed office in 2023.

Under the administration of the late President Muhammadu Buhari, the January-December budget cycle was strictly maintained for eight consecutive years, a practice widely praised for improving fiscal predictability and governance.

However, since 2023, that discipline has waned. For instance, the...