The Federal Government has fixed September 18, 2026, as the deadline for Ministries, Departments and Agencies to submit their personnel cost proposals for the 2027 budget.

The directive is contained in the 2027 Personnel Costs Budget Call Circular dated September 4, 2026, and signed by the Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Tanimu Yakubu. 

Under the timetable, MDAs are expected to submit both hard and electronic copies of their personnel budget proposals and the required supporting documents by 4pm on Friday, September 18.

The move is part of the Federal Government’s plan to accelerate the budget cycle and present the 2027 Appropriation Bill to the National Assembly in September, about three months before the start of the 2027 fiscal year. 

The Budget Office disclosed that the draft 2027–2029 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper had already been concluded in July, in line with the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007.

The early completion of the fiscal framework is expected to provide the basis for the preparation and submission of the 2027 spending plan to the National Assembly.

The government’s push for an earlier budget cycle comes against the backdrop of persistent challenges in the implementation of previous appropriations and the recurring overlap between fiscal years.

Nigeria has struggled with delays in budget passage and implementation, resulting in situations where one fiscal year’s spending plan extends well into the following year.

The Federal Government had also identified conflicting macroeconomic assumptions among agencies involved in fiscal and monetary policy as one of the factors contributing to budget underperformance.

To address the problem, the Economic Management Team established a committee to harmonise key assumptions used for budgeting and broader economic planning.

Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, said the harmonisation of economic assumptions was necessary to reduce discrepancies between budget projections and actual economic outcomes. 

The 2027 budget process is therefore expected to place greater emphasis on realistic economic projections, improved fiscal coordination and timely implementation.

With the September 18 deadline now in place, MDAs are required to complete their personnel cost submissions promptly as the Federal Government moves to meet its September target for presenting the 2027 budget proposal to lawmakers.