2025: Fubara Presents N1.188 Trillion Appropriation Bill to 3-man Rivers Assembly

•Says 2024 budget recorded 100% performance

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, yesterday presented a 2025 Appropriation Bill of N1.188 trillion to the three-man Victor Oko-Jumbo-led state House of Assembly.

This was Fubara’s second budget presentation since assuming office in May 2023, despite the crisis rocking the leadership of the Assembly over the defection of 27 lawmakers led by Martin Amaewhule.

The governor had in 2023 presented an N800 billion appropriation bill for the 2024 fiscal year to the four-member, then led by Edison Ehie, a former House Leader.

The governor presented the 2025 appropriation bill shortly after delivering his address to the lawmakers at the temporary Assembly Auditorium, in Government House in Port Harcourt.

Speaking on the proposed budget christened: “Budget of Inclusive Growth and Development,” Fubara said it would be implemented to achieve sustainable economic growth, and accelerate the development of the State, which would improve the living standards of all residents in the State.

Fubara explained that with the set-out objectives, the 2025 proposed budget would strengthen the capacity of the State to weather possible external shocks from the volatility of the national economy while building a resilient economy that would advance the collective development and prosperity of the people.

He said, “The total projected revenue for Rivers State for the 2025 Fiscal Year is N1,188,962,739,932.36. Two components of the budget are constituted as follows: Recurrent Expenditure of N462,254,153,418.98; Capital Expenditure of N678,088,433,692.03; Planning Reserve of N35,688,864,931.16; and a closing balance of N12,931,287,890.1935.

“This gives a Recurrent/Capital Expenditure ratio of 44:56 percent, indicating the sincere commitment of our administration to both infrastructural and human capital development of our people and state.”

Fubara said nearly N31 billion was been allocated to support interventions in agricultural development to ease the implementation of a comprehensive agriculture transformation and support programme for Rivers youths in order to significantly resolve issues of youth unemployment and poverty.

He emphasised that the commitment was also to address food insecurity in Rivers State, provide land preparation, farm inputs and extension services, including training, tractors, and access to improved seedlings and fertilizers to farmers to enhance their productivity and farm yields.

In education, Fubara assured that his administration would continue to provide access to quality education at all levels, enabling Rivers children to have the knowledge and skills they need to excel in their careers and contribute to the development of the State.

The Governor said, “Consequently, we have proposed to spend over N63 billion, representing 9.3 percent of the budget on education in fiscal year 2025.

“With this, we shall access all outstanding matching grants from the Universal Basic Education Commission to rehabilitate, equip and furnish dilapidated public primary and junior secondary schools, and continue to provide free basic education to our children.

“We will also rehabilitate, equip and furnish as many senior secondary schools as possible across the State, including the provision of new classrooms, perimeter fencing, water, and electricity, to provide a conducive environment for effective teaching and learning to take place.

“We shall work with the school-based management boards, administrators, parents, and teachers to fix our broken school system, improve enrollments, keep learners in school, promote effective teaching, and improve learning outcomes.”

The governor said with the proposed N97.750 billion for the health sector, representing 14.4 percent of the budget, all zonal hospitals, the upgraded neuropsychiatric hospital, and the new general hospital at Rumuigbo under reconstruction will be completed to provide quality and affordable healthcare services to the people of the State.

He also assured of rehabilitating more general hospitals, health centres across the State, ensure the procurement of essential drugs, medical supplies and equipment for effective and efficient healthcare delivery, while also providing more infrastructure to strengthen the capacity of the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital for quality, effective, and efficient tertiary healthcare services.

On Road and Transport Infrastructure, Fubara said over N195 billion was earmarked to complete all ongoing road projects and initiate new ones, support and facilitate the modernisation of the public transport system through necessary incentives to improve the quality of public transportation services in the State.

Fubara assured that all ongoing electrification projects, including delivering transformers and replacing the generator-powered streetlights with solar energy-powered streetlights across Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor Local Government Areas would be concluded.

He restated his determination to ensure the passage of the Rivers State Electricity Market Bill to regulate and open the State’s energy sector for private sector investments in order to achieve energy security and accelerate industrialisation of Rivers State.

He added, “In Social Development and Investments, Mr. Speaker, we have proposed to spend N15.4 billion for the social development sub-sector of our economy to advance youth and gender empowerment, jobs and wealth creation, sports development, and social inclusion.

“We will collaborate with Local Government Councils to establish youth resource and digital transformation centres to enable access to digital tools, internet services and training programmes for our youths to become economically successful and sufficiently self-reliant.

“We will also continue to support and strengthen the capacity of State-owned sporting teams, especially Rivers United, Rivers Angels, and the Hoopers to enable them excel and win more laurels in both national, regional and international contests.”

Fubara, who said the 2025 would be funded from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), Statutory Allocations, Mineral Funds, Valued Added Tax, Refunds/Escrow/ECA and others, explained that the 2024 budget performed excellently with IGR figure hitting N100 billion increase over the 2023 figure.

In his speech, the Speaker of the Assembly, Victor Oko-Jumbo, applauded Fubara for recording over N100 billion increase in IGR.

Oko-Jumbo said the achievement showed high level of transparency and accountability in governance, with the plugging of financial leakage, adding that it was also a testament to how attractive Rivers investment climate has become.

The Speaker however, pledged the continual support of the Legislature to the Executive to ensure that the Governor remained focused, sustain financial prudence, deliver democratic dividends, and make life better for the people.