The Yobe State governor Hon Mai Mala Buni has restated the commitments of his administration towards completing all ongoing projects initiated by his administration in addition to starting new people oriented ones across the state.
Buni stated this while presenting the 2025 finance and appropriation bills before the Yobe State House of Assembly in Damaturu.
The governor said the 2025 budget tagged “Budget Of Economic Consolidation and Poverty Reduction” will as championed since assumption to office in 2029, his administration will prioritise all ongoing projects with a view to consolidate on the provision of more dividend of democracy to the people as promised during the electioneering campaigns.
He said, “Mr. Speaker, Honourable Members, in continuation of our main focus to pursue our development goals with minimum cost, the 2025 Budget would seek to entrench our policy of completing all ongoing, and embarking on new essential projects.
“Our watchword would remain the observance of due process, transparency, and adherence to budgetary provisions, blocking leakages and providing the enabling environment to woo investments that would turn around the fortunes of the State.”
Gov Buni said in the 2025 fiscal year, the government proposed to spend the sum of N320, 811, 000, 000.00 for both capital, recurrent and personnel expenditure.
He further stated that the sum of N144, 036, 787, 000 representing 44.9% of the total budget was earmarked for recurrent expenditure while N176,774,213,000 representing 55.1% was allocated for capital expenditure.
The governor stated that the economic sector will be given due consideration to help accelerate development while education, healthcare development, road constructions, youth and women empowerment to receive priority attention.
“For the economy, this sector would continue to play its pivotal role in our speedy growth and socio-economic development agenda for the State. A total sum of One Hundred and Fifty-six Billion, Nine Hundred and Thirty-one Million, Eight Hundred and Eighteen Thousand Naira (N156,931,818,000) is allocated to cover capital and recurrent expenditure for the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Ministry of Works, Ministry of Commerce Industry and Tourism, Ministry of Wealth Creation Empowerment and Employment Generation, Ministry of Water Resources, Ministry of Transport and Energy, Ministry of Budget and Planning, Ministry of Finance and Economic Development and Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.
“Other organizations include Water Corporation, Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency, Internal Revenue Service, Rural Electrification Board, Housing and Property Development Corporation and Yobe Investment Company Limited, among others.
“The widespread of road projects is intended to give a facelift and accessibility to our communities. Government is committed to the completion of the seventeen ongoing road projects, and to embark on eleven new ones.
“The completion of the township roads and drainages in five Local Government Areas is very dear to the government. I am also pleased to inform you that work would soon commence for the construction of the Damaturu flyover.
“More solar-powered boreholes would be drilled and water reticulation improved with new pipelines in Damaturu, Buni-Yadi, Nguru, Geidam and Potiskum towns.
“We would also commence work on the Damaturu Green Economic City, and intensify efforts towards providing and rehabilitating facilities for the Nasari, Gurjaje and Bade-Gana Livestock Development Centers, construction of Damaturu Modern Abattoir, procurement of more agricultural implements and equipment.
“We would ensure payment of counterpart fund for Livestock Productivity Resilience Support Project (L-PRESS), Special Agro-industrial Processing Zone (SARZ), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Yobe State Integrated Agricultural Development Project (YSIADP) and Nigerian Covid-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES).
“Furthermore, we would provide funds for the completion of Modern Markets in Potiskum, Geidam, Yunusari and Ngalda as well as the Damaturu Mega Shopping Mall.
“Our drive to connect additional communities to the National Grid and provision of solar street lights would also be sustained in the 2025 budget. Provision would be made for installation of solar street lights in 11 Local Government Areas and various locations within Damaturu metropolis.
“More buses would be procured to add to the fleet of the Yobe Line Mass Transport to provide cheaper transportation to our people. Our efforts would therefore, dwell on improving facilities and open up various opportunities for inflow of domestic and foreign investments in this sector,” Buni disclosed.
The governor who restated the commitments of his administration towards providing the required social amenities to the people across the state equally commended the cordial working relationship existing between the executive and legislature in the state.