House of Assembly raises 2025 budget by N20bn
The Nasarawa State House of Assembly has increased the 2025 budget proposal by N20 billion, citing inflation and economic challenges.
The initial budget of N382.57 billion, presented by Governor Abdullahi Sule, was revised to N402.57 billion during the House proceedings on Wednesday in Lafia.
The Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Danladi Jatau disclosed this shortly after the Chairman, House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, Hon. Hudu A. Hudu, presented the report of the House Standing Committee on Finance and Appropriation on a Bill For A Law to Issue Out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the State (Appropriation) of the Sum of N382,567,843,592,03 during the House proceedings on Wednesday in Lafia.
The Speaker said that the committee recommended the upward review of the budget size by N20 billion due to the importance of some items in the budget and inflation in the market.
The Speaker expressed optimism that the 2025 budget if finally passed into law and assented to, would boost economic activities and improve the standard of living of the people of the state.
Jatau said that the committee recommended the consideration of N402,567,843,592.03 as the total budget size for the year 2025.
“Where N166,384 435,542.25 as Recurrent Expenditure while N236,183,408,049.78 as Capital Expenditure.
“Whereas N402,567,843,592.03 is the total budget size,” he said.
The Speaker further said that the date for the third reading of the bill would be communicated to the members of the House in due time.
On his part, Hudu, while presenting the committee’s report, commended the Speaker for the efforts he is making to expedite the process of passing the budget in the shortest possible time.
He also commended the members for their positive contributions and the collaboration of the Ministries, Departments and Agencies in the state, in ensuring that the budget is passed on time.
The chairman of the committee said that the adjustments made in the earlier budget presented by Governor Sule were made based on the importance of the economic codes bearing in mind the scourge of inflation in the market.
Earlier, the Majority Leader of the House, Hon. Suleiman Yakubu Azara, moved a motion for the adoption of the report, and the Minority Leader, Hon. Luka Iliya Zhekaba, seconded the motion.
The House then unanimously adopted the committee’s report.
It would be recalled that on Friday, November 29, 2024, Governor Abdullahi Sule presented the N382.57 billion Appropriation bill christened “Budget of Economic Growth and Stability” for the 2025 fiscal year to the State House of Assembly for approval.
