By Correspondent in Minna.
Governor Mohammed Umar Bago.
Governor Mohammed Umar Bago of Niger State on Thursday, presented N1,558,887,565,358.00 trillion appropriation bill for the year 2025 to the State House of Assembly.
The budget reflects a 48.32% increase compared to the 2024 fiscal year.
The budget breakdown includes N196,335,361,443.00 billion (13% of the total) allocated to recurrent expenditure, while N1,362,552,203,915.00 trillion (87% of the total) is earmarked for capital expenditure.
Governor Bago outlined the expected revenue sources for the fiscal year as follows:
Statutory Allocation: N53,400,000,000.00
Value Added Tax: N85,300,555,454.00
Other FAAC Receipts: N236,900,000,000.00
Internally Generated Revenue (IGR): N63,360,000,000.00
Other IGR: N186,368,241,948.00
Capital Receipts: N933,558,767,956.00
The largest allocation in the budget is for the education sector, receiving N90 billion, followed by the health sector.
Governor Bago emphasized his administration’s commitment to enhancing education, including the establishment of Abdulkadir Kure University (AKUM) in Minna, the disbursement of scholarships and bursaries totaling N450 million to 8,418 students, and the initiation of renovations for 600 secondary schools.
In addition, the state secured a $1 million scholarship for underprivileged children to study medicine abroad. However, the budget made no mention of funding for communication channels or information dissemination regarding the government’s policies and programs,he said.
Despite commending the governor’s developmental initiatives, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Abdulmalik Sarkin-Daji, criticized Governor Bago for failing to maintain a cordial working relationship with the legislative arm of government.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
