Budget: Gov Bago presents N1.558 trillion for 2025

Niger State Governor, Umaru Bago has presented a proposed budget of N1,558,887,565,358.00 for 2025 to the state legislature for consideration and passage.

The 2025 Budget, tagged “Budget of Hope for Sustainability and Food Security,” according to the Governor will address state developmental challenges and economic opportunities.

It should be recalled that for 202, Governor Bago presented a budget proposal of 613 billion naira and a supplementary budget of N191,603,304,622.00 billion naira, totalling N805,598,186,519.45 billion naira, which the house graciously approved. And as of November 2024, the budget performance was 68.88%, amounting to N554,914,730,777.21 billion naira of the entire budget.

In the sectoral budget, the sum of N399, 031,977,811.00 is earmarked for the agriculture sub sector while the Education sub-sector is allocated the sum of N90,926,548,740.00 and the health sub-sector will get the sum of N85,625,419,708.00 for the 2025 financial year.

While emphasizing on the need to look inward to grow the state’s economy, the Governor reiterated the necessity for the review of its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) stressing that attention would be given to infrastructural development to attract private sector investment to enhance earnings.

In this regard, the Economic Sector has the highest estimate of N98,786,069,351.92 or 66.80% of the capital expenditure. The social sector is earmarked N38,442,105,896.73 (26.00%), Administrative Sector has N9,326,537,182.51 or 6.30% while the Law and Justice Sector gets N1,325,000,000.00 representing 0.90%.

He disclosed that, “while building on the successes of 2024, the proposed 2025 budget aims to solidify rapid socio-economic development of the State and to strengthen the already laid foundation to achieve the New Niger Agenda.”

He added that the budget will focus on the key economic sectors: Security of lives and properties, Agriculture and Food Security, Health, Education, Water and Sanitation, Infrastructure Development, Social Security, and Environmental Sustainability.

Governor Bago disclosed that the total anticipated revenue to the state in 2025 is N1,558,887,565,358.00 trillion higher than the 2024 Appropriation by 48.32%.

According to him “the estimate comprises N196, 335, 361, 443.00 or 13% of the budget size as recurrent expenditure and N1,362,552,203, 915.00 representing 87% of the total budget size as capital expenditure.

“The revenue is to be derived from the following sources: 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 Receipt N933,558,767,956.00 making the total N1,558,887,565,358.00.

The Governor added that the Capital Receipt component of the resource inflow, which is to the tune of N933,558,767,956.00 billion naira, is made of N493496,681,728.00 and N440,062,086,228.00 naira as loans and grants respectively.

While reeling the Budget, he said it will be based on the following assumptions: The proposed recurrent expenditure for the 2025 fiscal year is N196,335,361,443.00 billion, with Personnel Cost at N72,276,458,552.00, Overhead Cost as N51,106,010,146.00 and Consolidated Revenue Fund charges at N72,952,892,745.00 totalling N196,335,361,443.00.

He further disclosed that the total projected capital expenditure for the year 2025 is N1,362,552,203,915.00 with Administrative Sector N27,611,200,002.00, Economic sector N1,362,552,203,915.00, Law and Justice Sector N3,508,500,000.0 and Social Sector N224,926,959,523.00 totalling N1,362,552,203,915.00.

In his response, the Speaker, RT. Hon. Abdulmalik SarkiDaji assured the Governor that the Assembly will ensure a quick passage of the appropriation bill.