GOV ALIA PRESENTS 2025 BUDGET OF OVER N550BN TO STATE ASSEMBLY
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Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has presented his 2025 Budget christened “Budget of Human Capital Development, Food Security, and Digital Economy,” to the State House of Assembly, in Makurdi.
Governor Alia told lawmakers at the State Assembly on Wednesday that the proposed budget, which aims to guarantee ongoing development, prosperity, and well-being for all state residents, will cost a total of N550,112,988,930.45, or five hundred and fifty billion, one hundred and twelve million, nine hundred and eighty-eight thousand, nine hundred and thirty naira, and forty-five kobo. According to him, the 2025 budget will be a bold and ambitious plan that is based on the ambitions of the people and the reality of the present.
It will also act as a roadmap to a more sustainable and better future.
The Governor Tersoo Kula received a statement from the Chief Press Secretary that included this information.
Kula said infrastructure development is a top priority with a budgeted sum of N110,022,597,786.09, representing 20%, followed by agriculture which has a proposed budget of N84,081,754,982.67 representing 15.28% while Education and the Health sectors each have a budget of N82,516,948,339.57, representing 15%.
The governor added that 0.93% of the budget will address programs aimed at improving social protection, such as unemployment benefits, housing, and poverty alleviation initiatives, while also evolving strategies for the three IDP pathways.
“In an effort to leave no one behind, Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, we have allocated 0.93% of the budget for programs aimed at improving social protection, which includes unemployment benefits, housing, and poverty alleviation initiatives, while also evolving strategies for the three IDP pathways: Resettlement, Relocation, and Returnees.
“Furthermore, sports, youth development and creativity being an integral part of our development efforts will be funded from 0.93% of the total budget. In essence, this budget proposes to increase funding for facilities that support sports development and local talent hunt in the state. It is also the intent of the budget to empower small businesses and startups to thrive. In 2025, we will implement programs to provide financial support, training, and mentorship to entrepreneurs, particularly in tech-driven industries. Votes amounting to 10.68% of the budget are allocated for this purpose,” the governor explained.
Regarding the difficulties in development and the advancements made thus far, Governor Alia stated that the negative effects of an unpaid labor force have been reduced, the minimum wage of $70,000 has been fully implemented, there are significant ongoing infrastructure improvements, and the state’s security has improved.
According to the Governor, through the Bureau of International Cooperation and Development, the state has enjoyed substantial grants from donors, totalling Eighty-Five Billion and Seventeen Million, Six Hundred and Twenty-One Thousand, One Hundred and Eleven Naira, Eleven Kobo Only (N85,017,621,111.11K), with forty-six (46) slots for Benue sons and daughters, on the UNITED Nations Volunteer Full Funded Scholarship Program.
He explained that due to the adjustments that were made in the 2024 budget, the overall budget amount for 2024 came to an aggregate sum of Three hundred and Seventy-Three Billion, Twenty Million, Five Hundred and Sixty-Seven Thousand, Three Hundred and Nineteen Naira Only (N373,020,567,319).
This according to the governor, represented a 65.3% increase over the original 2024 Budget, primarily due to built-in buffers, enabling the state to absorb shocks arising from macroeconomic uncertainties.
He promised that the Budget and Economic Planning Commission, which would be under his direction, would coordinate the 2025 budget in order to guarantee fiscal openness and fiscal strength in the state and local government system.
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