DIRI PROPOSES N1.24TRN BUDGET, SETS ASIDE N422.84BN FOR WORKS
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By: Fasasi Hammad
Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has presented a proposed budget of ₦1.24 trillion for the 2027 fiscal year, with 68 per cent earmarked for capital projects and a target of generating 100 megawatts of electricity.
The proposed ₦1,242,688,970,520.22 budget, tagged the 2027 Budget of Assured Prosperity and Sustainable Growth and Development, is aimed at consolidating infrastructure development, improving public services and stimulating economic activities across the state.
Presenting the estimates to the Bayelsa State House of Assembly on Tuesday, Diri said ₦840,791,394,666.69, representing approximately 68 per cent of the total budget, was allocated to capital expenditure, while ₦401,897,575,853.53, or 32 per cent, was set aside for recurrent expenditure.
He said, “Of the total amount of ₦1,242,688,970,520.22, ₦840,791,394,666.69, representing approximately 68 per cent, is proposed for capital expenditure, while recurrent expenditure is ₦401,897,575,853.53, representing approximately 32 per cent of our budget.”
The governor disclosed that the budget was based on an oil benchmark of $60 per barrel, crude oil production of 1.8 million barrels per day and an exchange rate of ₦1,400 to the dollar.
Other economic projections include an inflation rate of 18 per cent and Gross Domestic Product growth of 3.5 per cent.
“These are assumptions, and they provide the basis for our planning while recognising the risks of oil market volatility, as we all know,” he said.
Diri noted that the proposed budget was about 22 per cent higher than the 2026 appropriation, assuring that more resources would be directed towards projects with direct benefits to residents.
He said more than two-thirds of the proposed expenditure would go into capital investments that residents could see, use and benefit from.
The Ministry of Works and Infrastructure received the largest allocation of ₦422.84 billion, followed by Education with ₦126.97 billion.
The Ministry of Sports Development was allocated ₦68.50 billion, while Health received ₦53.32 billion. Security was allocated ₦24 billion, Public Utilities ₦22.94 billion and Agriculture ₦17.74 billion.
On infrastructure, Diri said his administration would prioritise the completion of ongoing roads, bridges and other strategic projects, particularly the senatorial district road projects.
“Our foremost priority will be to advance and complete ongoing roads, bridges and other strategic projects, particularly the senatorial coastways that can connect our communities and link our marine resources to investment and commerce,” he said.
He added that the infrastructure projects were intended to open up communities, improve accessibility and create opportunities for economic growth.
On electricity, the governor said the state was targeting 100 megawatts of power supply in 2027. He also promised to prioritise the provision of water, beginning with the Yenagoa metropolitan area.
Speaking on agriculture, Diri said Bayelsa’s geographical features gave the state the potential to become a major food-producing centre.
“Bayelsa’s land and waterways give us the potential to become a major food producer. We will continue to support farming, provide improved seedlings and fishing inputs, and assist cooperatives,” he said.
In the education sector, the governor pledged continued investment in model schools, accreditation programmes for tertiary institutions, science and technical education, digital learning tools and teachers’ training.
He said the government would also strengthen science, technical and vocational education while providing teachers with regular training to prepare them for the changing economy.
For the health sector, Diri promised improved healthcare facilities, adequate staffing and measures to retain doctors and nurses.
He added that the administration would strengthen primary healthcare services, particularly maternal and child healthcare, in Yenagoa and rural communities.
The governor also disclosed that the ₦68.50 billion allocated to sports development would support the completion of the state’s 30,000-capacity stadium before the end of his administration.
He said, “And we all know why, because the 30,000-capacity stadium will be completed in our tenure.”
Describing the proposed appropriation as historic, Diri said it was the first budget to be presented in Bayelsa State’s fourth decade and the last to be considered by the current State House of Assembly.
He recalled that Bayelsa was created in 1996 under the administration of former Head of State, General Sani Abacha, following the longstanding agitation by its founding fathers for a predominantly Ijaw state.
Diri further described the proposed power plants and the nine-storey Civil Service Secretariat Complex as investments designed to benefit both present and future generations.
“The proposed power plants and the nine-storey Secretariat Complex will serve Bayelsa, not only for this generation but for generations yet unborn. They are investments not only in physical structures but in public service and, indeed, economic activity,” he said.
The governor commended the State House of Assembly for its cooperation with the Executive, describing the cordial relationship between both arms of government as one of the strengths of his administration.
He urged lawmakers to give the budget timely consideration to enable the Appropriation Law to take effect in January 2027.
Diri said the presentation was in compliance with Section 121 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, and other relevant laws.
He also appealed to politicians and political parties in the state to maintain peace and decorum, warning against actions capable of threatening the state’s unity.
“Let us keep our politics peaceful. Our debates should be decent, and our focus firmly on Bayelsa, so that the unity we have built and the peace that turn budgets into projects are never put at risk,” he added.
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