The Senate has commenced debate on the 2024 budget a day after President Bola Tinubu presented the budget of N27.5 trillion to a joint session of the National Assembly.

Shortly after the joint session, the proposed budget passed its first reading at the Senate and House of Representatives on Wednesday.

Leading the debate on the general principles of the 2024 Appropriation Bill during the plenary on Thursday, the Senate leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, announced that the bill is deemed to have been read for the first time by the presentation before the joint session of the National Assembly, hence the commencement of the general debate.

He urged the lawmakers to approve the second reading of the 2024 Appropriation Bill for consideration by the Appropriation Committee and sub-committees.

Opeyemi said it was designed to prioritize electricity challenges, procurement of vaccines, construction of major roads across the country, and construction of railway projects, adding that the parameters and fiscal assumptions of the proposed budget would develop economic activities of the country and transform living conditions of Nigerians.

Supporting the motion, the senator representing Delta South, Joel Thomas, said when the budget is passed, it would facilitate a renewed hope for Nigerians. 

The All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker said the budget would develop the economic activities of the country if implemented.

In her motion, the lawmaker representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan also supported the passage of the bill.

Akpoti-Uduaghan, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), also called on the government to facilitate projects in her constituency.

Many senators who contributed to the debate supported the passage of the Appropriation Bill.