President Bola Tinubu’s administration has announced fresh fiscal, infrastructure and public health measures following Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja, with the Federal Government targeting the presentation of the 2027 budget before the end of 2026.
The council also approved approximately ₦631.3 billion for nine road infrastructure projects across the country and endorsed a ₦45.08 billion national biosecurity and disease surveillance system for five international airports.
The decisions were disclosed by ministers while briefing State House correspondents after the FEC meeting presided over by Tinubu at the Presidential Villa.
Minister of State for Budget and Economic Planning, Doris Uzoka-Anite, said the Federal Government was working on the 2027 budget and intended to submit the proposal to the National Assembly before the end of the year.
“We are working on the budget for 2027, and the intention is to present it before the end of the year,” she said.
The preparations follow a September 4 circular issued by the Budget Office of the Federation directing ministries, departments and agencies to submit their personnel-cost proposals alongside their establishment Acts.
The circular introduced additional documentation requirements as part of efforts to ensure that personnel expenditure in the next budget is tied to legally established government agencies and verified payroll arrangements.
Although the government has announced its intended presentation timeline, the overall size of the proposed 2027 budget, its projected revenue, planned borrowing and sectoral allocations have yet to be fully disclosed.
The budget process will determine the administration’s proposed spending priorities for the next fiscal year, with the National Assembly expected to scrutinise the estimates before the appropriation bill becomes law.
In a separate development, Minister of Works David Umahi announced that FEC had approved approximately ₦631.3 billion for nine road projects intended to improve transportation, connectivity and the movement of goods and people across the country.
Among the major approvals was the reconstruction of the 95-kilometre Etuke–Okeni–Ankpa–Otopa Road in Kogi State at a contract sum of ₦167 billion.
The council also approved ₦209 billion for the reconstruction of the 81.1-kilometre Ado–Ilawe–Ilumaba–Ikole Road in Ekiti State, including a bridge.
Another major project is the 47-kilometre Bichi Ring Road in Kano State, which will include a flyover and has an approved contract sum of ₦89.2 billion.
FEC further approved approximately ₦62 billion for the construction of the Tungo–Karamti Road linking Adamawa and Taraba states. The project will incorporate five bridges.
Other approvals include ₦20.257 billion for an 18-kilometre road linking Asiago to the Port Harcourt–Enugu Expressway, ₦30 billion for remedial works on deteriorated sections of the East–West Road, and ₦11.33 billion for a road project previously undertaken by the Abia State Government.
The council also approved ₦28.218 billion for the rehabilitation of a 17-kilometre section of the Sokoto–Illela Road, Route A1.
Umahi said the approvals formed part of the administration’s efforts to address road infrastructure deficiencies and improve access along important transport corridors.
He also reported progress on the Abuja–Kaduna–Zaria Road project, saying the first 118-kilometre section had been completed after 30 months of construction. Work on the second section, covering 164 kilometres, was nearing completion, with approximately 16 kilometres remaining, according to the minister.
The government also plans to equip the entire 375-kilometre Abuja–Kaduna–Zaria–Kano corridor with solar-powered streetlights.
On regional infrastructure, Umahi said ministers from countries along the Lagos–Abidjan coastal highway corridor were expected to meet to discuss financing arrangements. The proposed regional road is intended to improve connectivity and trade among participating West African countries.
The Federal Executive Council also approved a national biosecurity and response system valued at ₦45.08 billion to strengthen disease detection and emergency response at five international airports.
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, said the project would cover the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano, Port Harcourt International Airport in Rivers State, and Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu.
The project will operate under a 20-year public-private partnership arrangement involving Biohealth Consortium and its partners.
Under the arrangement, the private-sector partner will be responsible for designing, financing, building, deploying, operating and maintaining the system during the concession period, while the Federal Government will provide policy, institutional and regulatory oversight.
The facilities and assets are expected to revert to federal ownership at the end of the concession, in line with the agreement.
Pate said the system would deploy technologies to identify infectious disease threats that could enter the country through passengers, aircraft, cargo and baggage. Planned components include aircraft wastewater surveillance, air and surface sampling equipment, cargo and baggage biosurveillance technologies, portable diagnostic laboratories and a National Surveillance Operations Centre.
The centre will coordinate surveillance information, monitor incidents and support rapid responses to suspected public health threats.
Relevant agencies involved in the programme will include the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Port Health Services, the Nigeria Customs Service, the Nigeria Immigration Service and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control.
The minister said more than 18 million passengers travel through Nigeria’s airports annually, making stronger surveillance at international entry points important for public health and economic security.
The approval comes amid heightened attention to infectious disease preparedness following Nigeria’s recent response to an Ebola threat. Pate said the investment was intended to improve early warning, detection and coordination against Ebola and other emerging infectious diseases.
He also defended the government’s decision to provide ₦100,000 weekly to people quarantined because of their connection to the Ebola case, explaining that the support was intended to help them comply with isolation requirements without losing the means to support their families.
The government’s latest decisions span three major areas: preparation of the 2027 national budget, continued investment in road infrastructure and the strengthening of disease surveillance at international borders.
While the budget presentation remains a stated intention rather than a completed legislative step, the road contracts and airport biosecurity programme represent further commitments to infrastructure development and public health preparedness. Their eventual impact will depend on implementation, funding arrangements, project delivery and oversight.
