Fubara presents ₦1.1trn budget to four-man Rivers Assembly
By Jeffrey Agbo
Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara on Monday presented the 2025 budget proposal of ₦1.1 trillion to the Victor Oko-Jumbo-led Rivers State House of Assembly which consisted of four lawmakers loyal to the governor amid his battle with his predecessor, Nyesom Wike.
The budget, tagged the “Budget of Inclusive Growth and Development,” was unveiled during a plenary session where the assembly suspended house rules to accommodate the governor’s address.
Fubara, accompanied by members of his cabinet and other top officials, described the 2025 budget as a strategic plan to build on the successes of his administration in 2024 and to pave the way for sustainable development.
He highlighted the achievements of the ₦800 billion 2024 budget, noting significant progress in economic growth and revenue generation.
He announced that Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) rose to over ₦250 billion naira, and it’s expected to close at ₦300 billion by the end of the year, marking a record 100% increase over the previous year.
This, alongside ₦300 billion received from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), enabled the state to execute transformative projects across sectors.
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Building on this success, the governor unveiled one trillion, one hundred and eighty-eight billion, nine hundred and sixty-two million, seven hundred and thirty-nine thousand, nine hundred and thirty-two, thirty-six Kobo (₦1, 188, 962, 739, 932. 36) for 2025 fiscal year.
The proposed budget comprises Recurrent Expenditure of ₦462 billion and Capital Expenditure ₦678 billion, reflecting a 44% to 56% ratio.
Fubara outlined the expected revenue streams to fund the budget, including ₦264.3 billion from Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), ₦18.2 billion from Statutory Allocation, ₦132.1 billion from Mineral Funds, ₦204.2 billion from Value Added Tax (VAT) and ₦32.2 billion from Refunds Escrow, Paris/ECA, ₦27.5 from Refands from Bank Charges and ₦20.6Bn from Excess Crude Account.
The projections are based on economic indicators such as an oil price of $80 per barrel, a production target of 1.8 million barrels per day, an exchange rate of ₦1,500 per dollar, and a 22% inflation rate.
Fubara emphasised that the 2025 budget prioritises key sectors critical to the state’s development, including Agriculture to ensure food security; Education for improved access, infrastructure, and quality of learning; Healthcare; Social Investment to empower vulnerable groups and foster equity and Infrastructure Development to enhance connectivity and economic activities.
In his remarks, Speaker Victor Oko-Jumbo commended the governor for his vision and commitment to the state’s progress.
