The lawmaker representing Ondo South in the National Assembly, Jimoh Ibrahim, has supported President Bola Tinubu‘s administration’s planned borrowings.

Recall that Tinubu has asked the National Assembly to approve a fresh N1.767trn external borrowing plan in support of the 2024 Budget.

The president conveyed his request in a letter to Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas. He said if approved, the loan would partly be used to finance the N9.7trn deficit in the 2024 budget.

In an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Ibrahim said the current administration should borrow above $50 billion, not $2 billion.

However, the lawmaker urged Tinubu to ensure that the borrowings are channelled towards infrastructural projects.

He cited Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as an instance, saying the Middle East nation borrowed a $168 billion loan that was channelled into tourism, innovation, and technology.

He said, “To be realistic, you need to borrow good money, not all these $2 billion. Anything above $50 billion.”

“You can raise bonds. If Mr President decides to visit the United States and launch the nation bond at 10 years at 10 per cent, you will get a $100 billion.

“Everybody wants to go to Dubai. Where did Dubai get the money from? Dubai got the money by borrowing $168 billion and using it for infrastructural development in such a way that you can have the number of people going to Dubai today and the number of dollars that they go with is enormous.

“Dubai is paying back by $20 billion every other year. If the lending market disappears, where are you going to get the money from?

“The key issue is that if you borrow and develop your infrastructure, you are better off.” 

The Defence Head Quarters (DHQ) on Tuesday confirmed the killing of five soldiers during an ambush attack by Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists in Borno State.

The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, who confirmed the development, added that ten soldiers were also wounded, and four others are missing following the attack on the troops.

During the attack, the terrorists also destroyed some equipment, including one gun truck, three TCVs, and an excavator.

Despite the surprise attack, the troops were able to eliminate several of the terrorists and recover weapons with reinforcement deployed along the escape route of the terrorists.

The incident occurred in Gubio local government area of Borno State, Naija News understands.

“The coordinated attack saw five killed in action soldiers, 10 wounded, and four missing in action, while troops eliminated several terrorists as well as recovered weapons,” Buba said on Tuesday.

According to the DHQ, a reinforcement team with air components was dispatched to exploit the general area and the terrorists’ withdrawal route.

The statement added that the troops remain committed to their resolve to end all forms of security challenges in the country.

“Subsequently, a reinforcement team with an air component was dispatched to exploit the general area and the terrorists’ withdrawal route,” the DHQ said.

“However, it is pertinent to note that such an attack shall not deter the troops and armed forces of Nigeria from seeing the end of terrorism, insurgency, and other insecurity challenges facing the country.”

Earlier, Naija News had reported that the Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, condemned in strong terms the atrocious attack and reaffirmed the loyalty, commitment, and support of the people and Government of Borno State to the military in the fight against the criminals.

The Senate is expected to approve President Bola Tinubu’s $2.2 billion (approximately N1.77 trillion) external loan request today (Wednesday).

The loan, part of the external borrowing plan, is aimed at financing the N28.7 trillion 2024 budget, specifically to address the ₦9.7 trillion budget deficit.

President Tinubu’s request was conveyed in separate letters read during Tuesday’s plenary sessions in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

The president justified the loan as necessary for partially financing the deficit while implementing key government programs.

In response to the letter, Senate President Godswill Akpabio directed the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts to review the request and submit its report within 24 hours.

Akpabio stated, “The Presidential request for $2.2bn, equivalent to ₦1.77tn, is already enshrined in the external borrowing plan for the 2024 fiscal year.

“The Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Loans should therefore give the request expeditious consideration and report back within 24 hours.”

Additionally, Tinubu submitted the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper for 2025–2027 to both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Akpabio directed the Senate Committee on Finance, National Planning, and Economic Affairs to consider the MTEF/FSP documents and report back within one week.

Key parameters in the MTEF/FSP include a $75 oil price benchmark per barrel, daily oil production of 2.06 million barrels, an exchange rate of ₦1,400 to $1, and a targeted GDP growth rate of 6.4 per cent.

These figures form the basis for consideration and approval of the proposed ₦47.9tn 2025 budget.

Musa Odiniya, a former Director of Procurement at the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), testified before an Abuja High Court on Tuesday, revealing how former Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika awarded a contract for the Apron Extension at Katsina Airport to Al-Duraq Investment Limited, a company registered in 2021.

Odiniya disclosed this while testifying in a case filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against Sirika, his daughter Fatima, Jalal Sule Hamma, and Al-Duraq Investment Nigeria Limited.

The case involves allegations of a N2.7 billion contract fraud.

The defendants are facing trial before Justice Sylvanus Oriji on six charges. Sirika, who served as Aviation Minister under former President Muhammadu Buhari, is accused of abusing his office by awarding contracts to a company connected to his daughter and her husband.

The prosecution alleges that the offenses contravene Sections 12 and 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000, as well as Section 17(b) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, 2004.

During his testimony, Odiniya, led by EFCC counsel Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, explained that firms bidding for government contracts are required to submit an affidavit to ensure compliance with regulations.

“The reason being that no contract should be awarded to a company related to a member of staff at the ministry where the contract is to be executed,” he stated.

“My department cannot give a contract to a company where, for instance, the minister is a signatory to it,” he added.

When asked about the individuals behind Al-Duraq Investment Nigeria Limited, Odiniya said he only learned their identities at the EFCC office, where he was shown bank documents containing the defendants’ names.

“The defendants’ companies were registered in 2021, while the contract was awarded in 2022,” he noted.

“A company registered within a year of the award may not have the capacity to handle a project. The company is not qualified,” he said.

Odiniya further informed the court that the Apron Extension project at Katsina Airport was valued at N800 million.

After Odiniya’s testimony, Chief Kanu Agabi, SAN, counsel for Sirika, requested an adjournment to cross-examine the witness.

He also sought permission for Sirika to travel abroad to accompany his ailing mother for medical treatment.

While Jacobs did not oppose the adjournment, he requested time to confer with the EFCC regarding the motion.

Justice Oriji adjourned the hearing to November 21 to consider the motion and deliver a ruling.

The trial was further adjourned to January 23, 2025, for the cross-examination of PW5 and the continuation of proceedings.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission on Tuesday announced that it has begun tracking constituency projects worth N610bn across 22 states.

The anti-graft explained that the initiative aims to ensure that the projects are not abandoned and that the allocated funds are properly utilised.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the ICPC spokesperson, Demola Bakare, revealed that a total of 1,500 projects across the six geopolitical zones will be monitored.

He listed the states where the projects will be tracked as Kwara, Niger, Kogi, the Federal Capital Territory, Kebbi, Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Borno, Lagos, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Cross River, Delta, Imo, Abia, and Enugu.

He said, “The ICPC has kicked off Phase 7 of the Constituency and Executive Project Tracking Exercise.

“The tracking of the constituency and executive projects is an initiative of the commission that began in 2019, focusing on how well money allocated to critical sectors of education, health, agriculture, water resources and power, amongst others, by the government is utilised.

“The seventh phase, involving 1,500 projects with a total project value of N610bn, commenced on Monday, November 18th, 2024, in 22 states across the six geopolitical zones. The states are Kwara, Niger, Kogi, FCT, Kebbi, Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Borno, Lagos, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Cross River, Delta, Imo, Abia and Enugu State.

“The Phase 7 tracking exercise will cut across agencies of government, including intervention agencies such as the North-East Development Commission; the Niger Delta Development Commission; the National Agricultural Land Development Authority, Universal Basic Education Commission, Rural Electrification Agency, National Primary Health Care Development Authority, Tertiary Education Trust Fund and Ecological Fund Office.

“The objective of the exercise is to deepen adherence to due process in the execution of government projects, improve value for money, and entrench the culture of compliance with the scope and specification as contained in the contract documents.”

Bakare said during the last exercise, the commission tracked a total of 1,900 projects worth N500bn in 24 states.

He said, “The ICPC tracked a total of 1,900 projects valued at N500bn in Phase 6 of the exercise across 24 states of the nation’s six geopolitical zones.

“The projects were tracked within the focal sectors of Education, Water Resources, Agriculture, Power, Health, Energy, and Roads.

“These projects in the 6th phase were awarded to a total of 1,355 contractors in 176 MDAs.”

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has begun the export of refined petroleum products to neighbouring West African countries, a sign to traders that the mega-refinery’s operations could soon potentially shake up regional fuel markets.

A report by Bloomberg on Tuesday, quoting data sourced from Vortexa, Kpler, Precise Intelligence, a port report, and ship-tracking platform, said a tanker has hauled a shipment of gasoline from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery to waters off the coast of Togo, a neighbouring West African country.

The report said a CL Jane Austen recently loaded more than 300,000 barrels from Dangote and sailed west.

Recall that last month, the chairman of the Ghana National Petroleum Authority, Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, said the country is considering buying petroleum products from the Dangote refinery to help the country cut more expensive exports from Europe which cost the country about $400m monthly.

The chairman of NPA, Ghana, who spoke at the OTL Africa Downstream Oil Conference in Lagos, said importing from Nigeria rather than Europe would reduce the prices of other goods and services by removing freight costs.

“If the refinery reaches 650,000bpd a day capacity, all that volume cannot be consumed by Nigeria alone, so instead of us importing as we do right now from Rotterdam, it will be much easier for us to import from Nigeria and I believe that will bring down our prices,” Hamid said.

Similarly, The PUNCH exclusively reported two weeks ago that the refinery was set to begin fuel exports to South Africa, Angola, and Namibia.

It added that four other African countries – Niger Republic, Chad, Burkina Faso, and Central Africa Republic – had also started negotiations with the refinery.

A highly credible source, who confirmed this exclusively to one of our correspondents, said the management of the 650,000bpd capacity refinery was at the advanced stages of talks with the countries to start lifting fuel.

“I can confirm to you that talks are actually at the advanced stage with Ghana, Angola, Namibia, and South Africa, while the initial discussion is coming up with Niger, Chad, Burkina Faso, and the Central African Republic,” the source said.

The report further stated that the petroleum product shipment is now floating off the coast of Lome, a popular area for ship-to-ship transfers.

It’s also not certain where the CL Jane Austen’s cargo will ultimately end up.

Although it’s off Togo, the area is often used for Ship-to-ship transfers, meaning the fuel could subsequently be taken elsewhere.

“While the shipment is tiny in the context of the global gasoline market, it signals the ramp-up of Dangote’s production and the potential to export significant volumes of gasoline beyond Nigeria, which could upend regional markets.”

The refinery last month shipped its first seaborne gasoline cargo to the nearby commercial hub of Lagos.

Whether large amounts of Dangote’s gasoline output end up being exported remains to be seen.

Last month, the Federal Government ended its state-owned oil company’s monopoly on buying the fuel from the plant for domestic use but has allowed the continued importation of fuel from Europe and the US in line with the regulatory act.

According to the report, a Dangote spokesperson didn’t respond to a request for comments.

An audit report has uncovered financial irregularities totalling over N4.64bn in the Federal Ministry of Works (Housing Sector), raising concerns about systemic non-compliance with financial regulations and procurement laws.

The findings, contained in the Auditor-General for the Federation’s Annual Report, cover activities between 2020 and 2021 and reveal significant lapses in internal controls under Babatunde Fashola, the former Minister of Works and Housing.

The report details several issues, including payments made without proper documentation, extra-budgetary expenditures, mobilisation fees exceeding approved thresholds, and contracts awarded without following due process.

A sum of N1.08bn was paid from the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System account without the requisite payment vouchers, violating Paragraph 601 of the Financial Regulations, 2009.

Also, N546m was transferred to project accounts without adequate documentation or budgetary provision.

The Auditor-General’s report attributed these anomalies to weak internal control mechanisms in the Ministry and warned of risks such as fund misappropriation and loss.

Despite queries, the ministry failed to respond to these issues.

The Auditor-General recommended that the Permanent Secretary justify the payments, recover the funds, and remit them to the Treasury.

The audit report also recommended that evidence of compliance should be submitted to the National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committees, failing which sanctions under Paragraph 3106 of the Financial Regulations should apply.

Extra-budgetary spending

The audit unearthed extra-budgetary expenditures amounting to N2.89bn, including N1.88bn spent without legislative appropriation.

Also, over N1bn was paid to contractors for road projects in Katsina State, which were only included in the 2017 Appropriation Act.

These expenditures contravene Section 80(4) of the 1999 Constitution, which mandates legislative approval for all withdrawals from public funds.

The audit report read, “The sum of N1,883,795,670.51 (One billion, eight hundred and eighty-three million, seven hundred and ninety-five thousand, six hundred and seventy naira, fifty-one kobo) was expended by the Ministry without evidence of appropriation.

“The sum of N1,003,039,708.79 (One billion, three million, thirty-nine thousand, seven hundred and eight naira, seventy-nine kobo) was paid to four contractors for the construction of roads in Daura, Katsina State. The project was budgeted for in the 2017 Appropriation Act, and

“Approval for the extra-budgetary expenditures in (i) and (ii) above, totalling N2,886,835,379.30 (Two billion, eight hundred and eighty-six million, eight hundred and thirty-five thousand, three hundred and seventy-nine naira, thirty kobo) by the National Assembly was not presented for audit.

“The above anomalies could be attributed to weaknesses in the internal control system at the Federal Ministry of Works (Housing Sector).”

The lack of adherence to financial accountability standards raises concerns about the potential diversion of public funds.

No response was provided by the Ministry to clarify these expenditures.

The report called for the recovery of the unauthorised funds and recommended sanctions for those responsible under relevant financial regulations.

The report further revealed contracts worth N493.97m were awarded to companies not registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission.

Of this amount, N170.36m was paid to unregistered entities, and a company awarded a contract in 2016 was only registered in 2019, contravening the Public Procurement Act, 2007, and the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020.

The absence of legal registration increases the risk of contract non-execution, fund mismanagement, and payment to ghost entities.

The audit report noted, “Payment for Contracts totalling N493,967,484.24 (Four hundred and ninety-three million, nine hundred and sixty-seven thousand, four hundred and eighty-four naira, twenty-four kobo) were made to non-existing companies.

“The sum of N5,825,989.28 (Five million, eight hundred and twenty-five thousand, nine hundred and eighty-nine naira, twenty-eight kobo) was paid to a contractor vide payment voucher with Ref. No PROC/PBHD/CAP1345/2020 dated 30th December, 2020, out of the total contract sum of N493,967,484.24 without the company being incorporated.

“Three contractors were paid a total of N170,355,961.05 without evidence of incorporation with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

“A company that was awarded a contract on the 25th of November, 2016 was incorporated with CAC on the 16th of August, 2019.

“The above anomalies could be attributed to weaknesses in the internal control system at the Federal Ministry of Works (Housing Sector).”

The Ministry was advised to recover the funds, ensure remittance to the Treasury, and implement sanctions against officials involved in the irregular awards.

Other financial infractions

The report also noted that in Oyo State, the ministry paid N110.81m, representing 22.61 per cent of a total contract sum, as mobilisation fees for a project, exceeding the 15 per cent limit prescribed by Paragraph 2933 of the Financial Regulations.

The contract was also irregularly awarded on a Sunday, further raising concerns about procedural integrity.

The report called for the recovery of the excess payment and recommended strict sanctions for gross misconduct under Paragraph 3129 of the Financial Regulations.

Also, a contract worth N46.31m for classroom construction in Edo State was awarded without adhering to due process.

The report further noted that N40.83m, representing 88.18 per cent of the contract sum, was paid to the contractor, exceeding mobilisation thresholds.

The lack of documentation, such as tender evaluations and approvals, exposes the ministry to risks of incomplete projects and fund diversion.

Five contracts worth N27.84m were awarded without obtaining bids from at least three unrelated contractors, as required under Section 24(1) of the Public Procurement Act, 2007.

The ministry also failed to present essential documents, including advertisements, tender evaluations, and meeting minutes.

The Auditor-General’s report paints a grim picture of financial management in the Federal Ministry of Works (Housing Sector), citing pervasive internal control weaknesses, poor compliance, and lack of accountability.

The report stressed the need for urgent reforms to prevent further financial mismanagement and safeguard public funds.

The PUNCH earlier reported that the Senate on Monday vowed to invoke parliamentary sanctions against any head of a Federal Government agency indicted for financial infractions in the report submitted to the National Assembly by the Auditor-General for the Federation.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Legislative Compliance, Senator Garba Madoki, gave the warning at a one-day roundtable workshop in Abuja.

Madoki lamented the rate at which heads of the MDAs have been shunning Senate summons and warned that further disregard for the resolutions of the red chamber would no longer be tolerated.

Four days after the governorship election in Ondo State was concluded, the major opposition party in the state, the Peoples Democratic Party, has expressed its readiness to challenge the outcome of the election in court citing irregularities during the poll.

The development comes as the governor-elect of the state, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, is set to receive his Certificate of Return today.

The Independent National Electoral Commission had on Sunday declared the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Aiyedatiwa, as the winner of the election held in the state on Saturday.

APC’s Aiyedatiwa defeated Agboola Ajayi of the PDP and 15 other candidates to retain his position as the number one of the Sunshine State.

The APC governorship candidate and incumbent governor of the state trounced his opponents in the 18 local government areas of the state.

In the final declaration of the result, the state Returning Officer, Olayemi Akinwumi, said Aiyedatiwa polled a total of 366,781 votes to defeat Ajayi of PDP, who got 117,845 votes.

The Returning Officer said, “That Ayedatiwa Lucky Orimisan of the APC, having satisfied the requirement of the law, is hereby returned elected.”

According to the electoral body, 17 political parties participated in the off-cycle election, which was meant to usher in a new administration in the state from February 23, 2025.

However, the PDP, in its Tuesday statement issued by the Special Adviser to its governorship candidate, Ayo Fadaka, vowed that the PDP would take legal action in its quest for justice.

The statement read, “We have uncovered lots of actions undertaken to compromise the electoral desires of the people and sadly conclude that democracy cannot thrive in an environment where unabated criminality is perpetually perpetrated in the prosecution of an election by the agency (INEC) saddled with the onerous and sacred responsibility to protect our franchise and deliver its mandate at the end of every election.

“The November 16 election, like every other election conducted by INEC since APC assumed power in 2015, continues in the tradition of hijacking the process and delivering results that are diametrically in contrast with expressed electoral desires, thus resulting in promoting voters apathy and total disenchantment with the electoral process.

“While not divulging the nature and extent of the results of our investigations for now, our only prayer is that those who possess the privileges to determine the fate of people and nation should begin to live up to expectations and fear God, in the interest of our nation, it’s wellness, peace and tranquility, else they be reduced to same level of criminals and bandits who continuously lay landmines that undermine the progress of our nation.”

The party called on the judiciary to guarantee the “portability of justice to people and institutions that seek it, the nation and people will appreciate that.”

The statement added, “Nigeria is currently described as a failed state, it is our prayers that it is revived, rebirthed and resounding again as a nation that will not only hold promises of a better day for its people, but actually deliver on same. Thus, honesty must propel institutions and government; else revolt will one day dictate unwholesome developments that will portend dire consequences.

“In summary, we reject the results of the November 16 election and will take legal actions to reverse the debauchery, that is the option available to us and we are hopeful that man and God, who is the ultimate, will give us justice. It is time we begin to eschew criminality from our electoral process.”

The Social Democratic Party also rejected the results of Saturday’s poll declaring Aiyedatiwa winner.

Speaking with journalists on Monday in Akure, the state capital, the SDP chairman in Ondo, Gbenga Akinbuli, said there was harassment and intimidation of the party’s agents while the people were also not allowed to vote in many polling units amid alleged massive vote-buying.

Also, the Publicity Secretary of the party, Adeniyi Iwakun, said no election was held on Saturday.

He emphasised that the party had taken a position on the election, that it should be cancelled, claiming that the Certificate of Return that would be presented to Governor Aiyedatiwa today was abnormal.

He said, “By our own assessment, there was no election in the state. When people are being bought — part of the electoral act is that it is criminal for votes to be bought. Votes were openly traded in the presence of security agents who had already been compromised. As a political party, we rejected the result, we rejected the election, and we are calling for cancellation. So, it is a pariah victory — a victory that deserves no celebration.

“If he (Aiyedatiwa) is going to take a Certificate of Return, it is rather a certificate of shame. Because when the government has performed, you don’t need to induce people for you to be voted into power again. People will contribute to your election; people will contribute for your campaign.

“Sometimes, it can be applicable to the last election. There is no jubilation on the streets of the state. Everybody knows they have entered another ‘one chance.’ The government that has been on ground for over 10 months has not even had any power. We are talking about the current government. So, for us, it is a certificate of shame he is collecting, not a Certificate of Return. Or possibly, we call it a certificate of return to shame because it is a pariah victory, something that was bought. That is the position of our political party.”

The Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, on Tuesday, presented the N607 billion 2025 draft budget proposal to the state House of Assembly.

Presenting the budget to the House, Soludo, who labelled the budget “Changing Gears 2.0” with an emphasis on acceleration and execution, stated that it represents a 48 per cent increase compared to the 2024 budget of N410 billion.

Soludo explained that N139.5 billion, which represents 45 per cent of the budget, is allocated to recurrent expenditure, while N467.5 billion, representing 48.9 per cent, is for capital expenditure.

He added that the capital budget constitutes 77 per cent of the total budget size, while recurrent expenditure accounts for 23 per cent, reflecting the same ratios as in the 2024 budget. He also noted that the budget deficit is estimated at N148.3 billion, which is 24 per cent of the budget, compared to 30 per cent in the 2024 budget.

The governor pointed out that, as with the 2024 budget, the deficit is expected to be funded through revenue growth or borrowing from financial institutions, explaining that the state did not borrow to finance budget deficits in either 2023 or 2024.

He stated, “Mr Speaker, honourable members, from the foregoing, it is evident that there is no stopping our consistent acceleration in a steadfast execution mode. For sure, 2025 is a governorship election year in Anambra State.

While the politicians will focus on politics, we will focus 100 per cent on executing our multi-faceted agenda with a deadline. Consequently, we have titled this budget ‘Changing Gears 2.0’ with an emphasis on acceleration and execution.”

“The proposed budget size is N606,991,849,118 for the fiscal year 2025. Compared to the 2024 budget of N410,132,225,272, this represents a 48 per cent increase.”
He further noted that, depending on the execution in 2025, the state may still avoid borrowing to fund the deficit. In comparison to the 2024 budget, several key sectors are seeing significant increases: the administrative sector by 45.5 per cent; the economic sector by 40.1 per cent; the judiciary sector by 51.3 per cent; the social sector by 82.7 per cent; education by 101.4 per cent; health by 57.1 per cent; and infrastructure investment by 38.9 per cent.

“We are building upon the iconic projects initiated in 2024 while introducing new ones. Infrastructure and economic transformation, as well as human capital development, remain the core of this administration. Significantly, at least 70 per cent of the budget is allocated to these sectors.”

“We are progressing the development of three new cities: Awka 2.0, Onitsha 2.0, and a new industrial city. The Anambra Mixed-Use Industrial City Master Plan and the railway master plan/feasibility study have been completed. Afreximbank and AFDB remain committed to supporting the development of the Industrial City.”

The governor highlighted plans to continue enhancing the ease of doing business in Anambra to make the state the preferred destination for investors. He mentioned that the state recently concluded the second edition of the Anambra Investment Summit, where 10 elite companies signed Memoranda of Understanding.

He also shared plans to build the largest shopping mall in Africa and develop leisure centres throughout the state.

Additionally, he noted the recent investment in equipment to enhance night landing capabilities at the Chinua Achebe International Airport.

On human capital development, the governor reiterated the focus on education and health. He said, “Our goal remains to provide free and qualitative education for every child in Anambra to enable them to succeed. We will maintain our free education policy and continue to pay the newly agreed operational costs for schools. We are transforming 22 secondary schools into smart schools (with many more to follow in the new year), setting a standard for what an ideal school should be in Anambra.”

He continued, “We will continue the aggressive upgrade of infrastructure in our primary schools through the ASUBEB programme. Indeed, by 2025, we plan to make significant investments in education so that our students and teachers will smile like never before.”

The governor also mentioned that the government currently spends over N1.2 billion a month to pay the salaries of government teachers deployed to these “returned mission schools,” excluding the pensions of retired teachers.

Fagbemi emphasised that the needs of poor and vulnerable individuals are also addressed in this budget. “More than 100,000 households will receive 10 or more seedlings of coconut, palm, ukwa, pawpaw, soursop, and other crops per household, as we did in 2024. We will also provide grants to micro businesses across 326 wards in the state as part of our commitment to our party mantra, ‘Onye Aghana Nwanneya’.”

“In 2025, we plan to expand our One-Youth, Two-Skills programme to accommodate more youths and empower them accordingly. We are also establishing a One Million Digital Tribe, scaling our digital skill training programme through the Solution Innovation District.”

Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Yahaya, on Tuesday presented a proposed budget of N320.11bn for the 2025 fiscal year to the state House of Assembly, with a focus on capital expenditure.

The budget tagged “Budget of Transformation and Resilience,” allocates N111.09bn (34.7%) to recurrent expenditure and N209.02bn (65.3%) to capital expenditure.

In his address, Yahaya said, “In our efforts to address the developmental aspirations of the people of Gombe State in the 2025 fiscal year, I hereby present a proposed budget of N320.11bn. Out of this, N111.09bn is allocated for recurrent expenditure, while N209.02bn is earmarked for capital projects.”

The economic sector received the highest allocation of N138.04bn, followed by the social sector with N58.87bn, general administration with N9.01bn, and the law and justice sector with N3.11bn.

The governor disclosed plans to generate N160.27bn in recurrent revenue and N71.52bn in capital receipts while projecting an estimated closing balance of N11.68bn for 2024.

Yahaya assured the people that the 2025 budget reflects the state’s commitment to inclusive development.

He stated, “This budget aligns with local, national, and global economic realities.

“It prioritises the developmental needs of our people while emphasising sustainability, equity, and inclusiveness. It reflects our commitment to fostering growth, providing opportunities, and addressing pressing challenges in key sectors of the economy.”