President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has forwarded a fresh batch of appointments and legislative proposals to the Senate, seeking confirmation of nominees for the Fiscal Responsibility Commission, a non-career ambassadorial position and the Federal Civil Service Commission, while also transmitting two bills and the 2026 statutory budget proposal of the Niger Delta Development Commission.
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The presidential communications were read at plenary on Tuesday by Senate President Godswill Akpabio shortly after lawmakers resumed from recess.
In the first communication, Tinubu sought Senate confirmation of Dr. Abdullahi Maikano Saidu as Chairman of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission, alongside Mohammed Asmau, Mohammed Aliyu Makama and Dr. Suleiman Gidado.
The President relied on Section 5(3) of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007 in seeking the Senate’s approval.
“It is my hope that the Senate will consider and confirm the nominees in its usual expeditious manner,” Tinubu said in the letter.
Akpabio subsequently referred the nomination request to the Senate Committee on Finance, which was directed to consider it and report back within two weeks.
The latest request follows the Presidency’s July 20 announcement of a new board for the Fiscal Responsibility Commission with Saidu as chairman. The State House had at the time listed Mohammed Asmau, Mohammed Aliyu Makama and Suleiman Gidado among members of the board.
Tinubu also forwarded the name of Engineer Sani Ndanusa to the Senate for confirmation as a Non-Career Ambassador and High Commissioner to The Gambia.
The nomination was transmitted pursuant to Section 171(2)(c) and (4) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and was referred by the Senate President to the Committee on Foreign Affairs for further legislative consideration.
The nomination would add to the diplomatic appointments already made by the administration. Earlier in 2026, the Presidency announced postings for dozens of career and non-career ambassadors following their Senate confirmation.
In another letter, President Tinubu presented Engineer Wakili Bukar for confirmation as a member of the Federal Civil Service Commission, representing Bauchi, Borno and Yobe States.
Tinubu is seeking Bukar’s appointment for a second and final five-year term.
Akpabio referred the nomination to the Senate Committee on Establishment for consideration.
Beyond the appointments, Tinubu also sent the National Postgraduate Medical College Amendment Bill, 2026 to the Senate.
According to the President’s communication, the proposed legislation seeks to rename the institution and expand its statutory mandate to enable it to award Doctor of Philosophy degrees in clinical medicine, dentistry and related fields.
Tinubu informed the Senate that the proposed legislation had already undergone legal scrutiny by the Federal Ministry of Justice.
“The Federal Minister of Justice has vetted and finalised the Bill in line with drafting standards and constitutional provisions,” the President stated.
The Senate consequently referred the proposed legislation to the Committee on Rules and Business for further action.
Tinubu also transmitted the National Research and Development Fund Establishment Bill, 2026, which is intended to create a central funding mechanism for research and development in Nigeria.
Under the proposal, research funds currently spread across various ministries, departments and agencies would be consolidated into a single competitive funding framework to be administered under the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology.
The proposed fund is intended to promote strategic cooperation among government research institutions, universities, other academic bodies and the private sector.
According to the President’s communication, one of the objectives is to “foster strategic collaboration among research agencies, academia, and the private sector” and to “drive the commercialisation of homegrown technologies to reduce foreign technological dependency.”
The proposal comes amid a wider push by the Federal Government to establish a more sustainable framework for financing research and development. The National Universities Commission had earlier referred to government efforts toward establishing a national research funding structure designed to provide sustainable financing for research and strengthen university-industry collaboration.
Also transmitted to the Senate was the 2026 Statutory Budget Proposal of the Niger Delta Development Commission.
According to the presidential communication, the NDDC budget was prepared in line with the administration’s development programme and is expected to prioritise youth empowerment, electricity and power infrastructure, education, healthcare, security and agricultural productivity across the Niger Delta region.
The Senate also received notification that President Tinubu had assented to the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria Amendment Bill, 2026, meaning the legislation has now become law.
Following the reading of the various presidential communications, Akpabio directed the relevant Senate committees to expedite consideration of the nominations, bills and other matters referred to them.
The latest correspondence means the Senate will simultaneously consider the leadership and membership nominations for the Fiscal Responsibility Commission, the proposed ambassadorial appointment of Ndanusa, Bukar’s reappointment to the Federal Civil Service Commission, as well as the two executive bills and the NDDC’s statutory spending proposal.
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