Nigerian lawmakers pass 2024 budget after Tinubu seeks extra funds
NIGERIAN lawmakers approved a 28.77 trillion naira ($34 billion) budget for 2024, accepting a funding increase that the government had sought due to higher revenue forecasts and a weaker currency. President Bola Tinubu had initially presented a 27.5 trillion naira budget to lawmakers, projecting a deficit of 3.9% of gross domestic product (GDP) and assuming an average exchange rate of 750 naira per dollar. But at a special sitting on Saturday, the Senate and House of Representatives separately debated the budget and resolved to adopt it with the changes sought by the government. The government said it expected more revenue from government-owned…