Dare Babalola
President Bola Tinubu has withheld assent to two recently passed bills from the National Assembly, citing potential conflicts with existing laws and policy frameworks.
The rejected bills are the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (Establishment) Bill, 2025, and the National Library Trust Fund (Establishment, etc.) Amendment Bill, 2025.
The President, in a letter read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio at Tuesday’s plenary, faulted provisions in the bill that introduced new levies, unregulated borrowing, and investment of public funds in securities.
Specifically, Tinubu objected to Section 18(4a), which proposed a levy of one percent on freight for imports and exports, warning that it would burden trade and bypass the national budgetary process. He also criticized Section 20, which allowed the institute to borrow up to ₦50m without presidential consent, describing it as “a loophole that could enable repeated borrowing below the threshold to evade oversight”.
“These provisions, if allowed, would not only undermine fiscal discipline but also create opportunities for financial abuse. For these reasons, I withhold my assent to the bill,” Tinubu wrote.
The President also rejected the National Library Trust Fund Amendment Bill, citing conflicts with existing federal laws and policy frameworks.
Tinubu noted that provisions on agency funding, taxation of national entities, staff remuneration, and tenure or age limits were potentially “unsustainable and against the public interest”.
“For these reasons, I cannot grant presidential assent to the bill in its present form. I urge the Senate to revisit and address the identified issues,” the letter read.
After reading both correspondences, Senate President Godswill Akpabio commended Tinubu’s “diligence in reviewing every legislation” and directed relevant committees to rework the affected bills for further legislative action.
“This demonstrates the seriousness with which Mr. President is reviewing every legislation we pass. It is now our responsibility to carefully address the issues he has raised,” Akpabio said.
The Senate has referred the Transport Technology Bill to the Committee of the Whole and the Library Trust Fund Amendment Bill to the Committees on Special Duties and Establishment and Public Service Matters for further scrutiny.
