Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara State on Friday presented the 2025 appropriation bill before the State House of Assembly with a focus on completing ongoing projects, starting new ones, and improving social protection for the people of the state.
The appropriation bill, valued at N540,368,119,765.00, allocates 62.1 percent to capital expenditure, while recurrent expenditure gets 37.9 percent.
The governor, who said the budget is projected on oil prices of $75 per barrel, daily oil production of 2.06 million barrels, and 6.4 percent GDP growth, added that the funding windows are FAAC receipts, which constitute 48.1 percent, and opening balance (N62bn), IGR, and other capital receipts that form the balance of 51.9 percent.
Governor Abdulrazaq said that the social sector gets 32.50 per cent of the fiscal plan, while education and health are allocated 16.2 percent and 10.56 percent respectively, with the hope of getting the new University of Education off the ground and strengthening existing institutions across the state.
He also said that the state Ministry of Works and Transport gets 17.51 per cent to continue road construction and maintenance in the state.
The governor, who said that the budget would complete the major infrastructural projects across the state and fund new ones, added that such projects would include 250 units of mass housing and inner roads in the planned Smart City.
He also said that the stadia in Offa and Lafiagi would be prioritised in the budget, adding that new roads would be constructed in Kwara South, North, and Central to further ease the movement of goods and services within the state.
Governor Abdulrazaq said that the 2025 budget would take care of construction work on a multi-storey Court House, adding that the Metropolitan Square in Ilorin would also be upgraded and completed.
The governor said the budget is not just a ritual as it “reflects our commitment to delivering on promises as resources permit,” recalling how the 2024 budget brought significant benefits to various sectors, including infrastructure, healthcare, education, and social protection.
Speaker Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, who commended the strides of the governor across the state, assured him of speedy yet thorough consideration of the fiscal proposal.
“Your administration is known for transparency, accountability, and fiscal discipline,” he said.
The Speaker said the state’s investment in the payment of counterpart funds to development partners has bolstered its standing in education, health, and agricultural sectors.
“On our part as legislators, we will immediately swing into action by looking at the document and interacting with heads of ministries, departments, and agencies at the defence sessions that will be underway shortly,” he said.
READ MORE FROM: NIGERIAN TRIBUNE