Aiyedatiwa, Abiodun Sign 2025 Budgets into Law

Fidelis David in Akure and James Sowole in Abeokuta

Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, yesterday, signed the 2025 Appropriation Bill totaling N698.659 billion into law.

Also, his Ogun State counterpart, Dapo Abiodun, signed his N1.054 trillion 2025 State Appropriation Bill into law.

For Ondo State, the budget was increased by N43.429 billion, above the N655.230 bn initially proposed by Aiyedatiwa when he presented the 2025 “Budget of recovery” to the Assembly.

The budget allocated N433 billion (62.06%) to capital expenditure and N265 billion (37.94%) to recurrent expenditure.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, held at the Exco Chamber, Governor’s office, Akure, Aiyedatiwa said the event marked a significant step at fulfilling the promises he made to the people of Ondo State during the electioneering processes.

Aiyedatiwa described the 2025 fiscal plan as a bold and strategic step towards rebuilding the state’s economy and addressing critical socio-economic challenges.

“This is a critical moment for our administration, one that marks a significant step towards fulfilling the promises we made to the people of Ondo State during the electioneering processes,” he said

Aiyedatiwa explained the deliberate prioritisation of capital development, stating, “We have deliberately allocated the higher percentage to capital development to jumpstart the economy and initiate massive infrastructural renewal across the State.

“The main objective of this budget is to make life easy for our people. This objective is sacrosanct and non-negotiable.”

The Governor emphasised that the budget reflects the collective aspirations of Ondo State residents, noting that it was crafted with inputs from stakeholders during town hall meetings across the state.

“The budget reflects our collective vision for the future of Ondo State and demonstrates that when we work together, we can achieve great things for our people,” he added.

Highlighting the administration’s priorities,  Aiyedatiwa noted that the 2025 budget allocates significant resources to agriculture, infrastructure, education, healthcare, security, and social welfare. He described these allocations as investments in the lives of the people.

“These allocations are not just numbers on a page; they are proposed investments in the lives and well-being of every resident of our State.

“It is through these resources that we will continue to create opportunities, improve livelihoods, and build a sustainable future for ourselves and generations to come,” he stated.

To ensure accessibility and compliance, the Governor announced that the 2025 budget would be available on the State’s budget portal from January 1, 2025.

Earlier, the Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly,  Olamide Oladiji, applauded Aiyedatiwa for his commitment to advancing all critical sectors of the state’s economy.

He noted that the focus on holistic development was evident in the upward revision of the budget from N655.230 billion to N698.659 billion, reflecting the administration’s determination to meet the growing needs of the state.

Meanwhile, Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, yesterday, signed the N1.054 trillion 2025 State Appropriation Bill into law.

The signing, which took place at the Governor’s Office in Abeokuta, was witnessed by the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Hon. Oludaisi Elemide, principal officers of the House, the Deputy Governor, and members of the State Executive Council.

Speaking after receiving the clean copies of the Bill, Abiodun announced that his administration would, in the coming month, sign the partnership agreement with potential partners for the development of the Olokola Sea Port.

He said the government would also focus on the provision of more basic infrastructure with the signing of more Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with private corporate bodies in renewable energy, agriculture, and other sectors that would boost the State’s economy.

He said: “It is my pleasure to announce to you that in the coming month, we will be signing the partnership agreement with potential partners in our port development. The Olokola Port is back on track.

“In the coming year, you will see us signing more Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with private players in the areas of renewable energy, energy transition, and agriculture, particularly animal husbandry. We intend to join the league of those producing beef and pork, not just for domestic consumption, but for export.

“We will continue to provide more infrastructure, particularly roads, in every local government in the State. We will continue in our stride to provide the right infrastructure and the right situation to ensure that students in Ogun State learn in a conducive environment.

“We will continue to pursue our healthcare program in primary health care, secondary, and tertiary, and of course, our policy on ‘grow what you eat and eat what you grow.’ We are going to be more aggressive in the area of agriculture.”

While noting that his administration would be relentless in the pursuit of infrastructure that would engender more socio-economic development, Abiodun revealed that emphasis on arterial roads like the Ijebu-Ode-Epe, Sagamu-Abeokuta, Atan-Lusada-Agbara, Ota-Abeokuta, and Ilaro-Owode roads had played important roles as they had helped to improve the State’s Internally Generated Revenue through the influx of more people and industries.

He acknowledged the difficulties people were going through due to the bold policies of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to pull the country out of the woods but maintained that his administration had risen to the occasion by providing needed palliatives to cushion the effects and help the people navigate the period.

“I want to assure you that we can only hope for more wins in the future. It has been a very difficult year for us all, not just as a state but as a country. Our President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, started his tenure with very bold reforms that have resulted in some unintended consequences that we must all endure so that we can have a country that is solvent,” he added

He appreciated members of the Assembly for the speedy passage of the Bill after due diligence and commended their high level of commitment to their constituents and the state, noting that their collaboration with the executive arm had led to the state growing in leaps and bounds.

Speaking earlier, Elemide, noted that the speedy passage of the Bill was in keeping with the promise made to the governor when he presented the Bill to the assembly on the 4th of December this year, adding that no budget bill had been passed before Christmas in the past.

While appreciating the governor for the facelift given to the Assembly Complex, Elemide said his colleagues worked tirelessly to ensure that the budget was passed on time so as to keep the wheels of the state’s progress moving.

He assured that the Assembly would continue collaborating with the other arms of government to ensure that the people enjoy the dividends of democracy.