In line with its commitment to transparency and accountability, the Akwa Ibom State government has presented the Budget Implementation Report for the second quarter (Q2) of 2025.
The presentation, held on Friday, at the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, was made by the commissioner, Dr Linus Nkan, who reaffirmed the state government’s determination to remain open and accountable in the management of public funds and resources.
Dr Nkan disclosed that the approved 2025 Budget, tagged the “Budget of Consolidation and Expansion,” stands at ₦955 billion, with ₦300 billion allocated for Recurrent Expenditure and ₦655 billion for Capital Expenditure.
For the second quarter, he reported that the total Recurrent Expenditure was ₦47.7 billion, while the year-to-date Recurrent Expenditure performance stood at ₦113.4 billion. On the Capital Expenditure side, performance for Q2 was ₦45.8 billion, bringing the year-to-date figure to ₦179.8 billion.
He clarified that the reported capital expenditure for the quarter excluded advance payment guarantees, funded IPCs awaiting drawdown, and service-wide emergencies, noting that these items would reflect in future reports and push the values higher.
Dr Nkan also disclosed that a supplementary budget, a which will capture provisions for projects and needs not listed in the original 2025 budget – will soon be forwarded to the State House of Assembly for legislative consideration.
He emphasised that Governor Umo Eno has remained prudent with the state’s finances and only embarks on projects after ensuring that the necessary funds are available. According to him, the administration has not resorted to borrowing to fund any project.
Reeling out over 60 new projects initiated under the Eno-led administration, Dr Nkan cited key developments such as the State Security and Command Centre, the Elderly Citizens Centre, the 5,000-capacity Ibom Convention Centre, Ibom Hotels, the Ibom Shopping Centre, the Judiciary Village, Doctors’ Quarters and the AKBC House.
Others are the AKICorp building, Itam Industrial Park, Ibom Hotels in Abuja, the Ibom Model Farm, AkwaGIS building and the Aviation Village.
He also mentioned the Ewet Luxury Garden, the Mother and Child Hospital in Ibiono Ibom, the Local Government Chairmen’s Lodge, the ARISE Shopping Centre, the Sports Accademy in Eket and the CNG City Bus initiative, among others.
Speaking at the event, the commissioner for Information, Rt. Hon. Aniekan Umanah, described the presentation as a practical demonstration of Governor Eno’s transparency mantra and a vital instrument for public accountability. He said the quarterly report reflects the administration’s resolve to manage public resources prudently and to keep citizens informed.
Umanah described the Q2 report as the best budget performance recorded in the State and arguably across the country, contrasting it with some states where the 2024 budget is still being implemented alongside that of 2025.
He commended the Governor’s fiscal discipline and emphasized that the administration has instituted mechanisms to track and account for every naira spent.
On his part, the state chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Amos Etuk, applauded Governor Eno for upholding the principles of transparency and accountability.
He acknowledged the sincerity of the governor in actualising the ARISE Agenda, assuring that journalists in the state would continue to report accurate information in the interest of Akwa Ibom’s development.
The event was attended by the permanent secretary, Ministry of Information, Akparawa James Edet; his counterpart in the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Barr. Christopher Udoh; other government officials and members of the media.
The session featured an interactive engagement with journalists, reinforcing the government’s commitment to open governance. (NAN)
