On Wednesday, Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, presented the state’s N550,112,988,930.45 2025 budget estimate to the Benue State House of Assembly in Makurdi.
The 2025 Budget is christened “Budget of Human Capital Development, Food Security, and Digital Economy.”
Governor Alia told the lawmakers that the proposed budget was designed to ensure continued progress, prosperity, and well-being for all state citizens.
According to him, the 2025 budget will serve as a roadmap to a brighter, more sustainable future, with a bold and ambitious plan, grounded in the realities of the present times and in the aspirations of the people.
In the budget, infrastructure development is the top priority, with a budgeted sum of N110,022,597,786.09, representing 20%. Agriculture, which has a proposed budget of N84,081,754,982.67, represents 15.28%, while the education and health sectors each have a budget of N82,516,948,339.57, representing 15%.
While addressing the other areas captured in the budget, the governor added that 0.93% of the budget will address programs aimed at improving social protection, such as unemployment benefits, housing, and poverty alleviation initiatives, while also evolving strategies for the three IDP pathways.
“To leave no one behind, Mr. Speaker, Honourable Members, we have allocated 0.93% of the budget for programs aimed at improving social protection, which includes unemployment benefits, housing, and poverty alleviation initiatives, while also evolving strategies for the three IDP pathways: Resettlement, Relocation, and Returnees.
“Furthermore, sports, youth development, and creativity being an integral part of our development efforts will be funded from 0.93% of the total budget.
“In essence, this budget proposes to increase funding for facilities that support sports development and local talent hunts in the state.
“It is also the intent of the budget to empower small businesses and startups to thrive.
“In 2025, we will implement programs to provide financial support, training, and mentorship to entrepreneurs, particularly in tech-driven industries.
“Votes amounting to 10.68% of the budget are allocated for this purpose,” the governor explained.
On the development challenges and progress made so far, Governor Alia said the negative implications associated with an unpaid workforce, have been stabilized, with the N70,000 minimum wage fully implemented.
He added that there is massive ongoing infrastructure rehabilitation, as well as improved security in the state.
According to the governor, through the Bureau of International Cooperation and Development, the state has enjoyed substantial grants from donors, totaling Eighty-Five Billion and Seventeen Million, Six Hundred and Twenty-One Thousand, One Hundred and Eleven Naira, Eleven Kobo Only (N85,017,621,111.11K), with forty-six (46) slots for Benue sons and daughters, on the UNITED Nations Volunteer Full Funded Scholarship Program.
He explained that due to the adjustments that were made in the 2024 budget, the overall budget amount for 2024 came to an aggregate sum of Three hundred and Seventy-Three Billion, Twenty Million, Five Hundred and Sixty-Seven Thousand, Three Hundred and Nineteen Naira Only (N373,020,567,319).
This according to the governor, represented a 65.3% increase over the original 2024 Budget, primarily due to built-in buffers, enabling the state to absorb shocks arising from macroeconomic uncertainties.
He assured that in order to ensure fiscal transparency, and fiscal strengthening in the state and local government system, the 2025 budget will be coordinated by the Budget and Economic Planning Commission, under his watch.
