Babagana Zulum, the governor of Borno State, on Wednesday, December 9, 2020, presented an Appropriation Bill of N208 billion for the 2021 fiscal year to the House of Assembly.
In the budget proposal, capital projects got the lion’s share of N135 billion, representing 65 per cent of the budget, while the remaining N72.7billion is left for recurrent expenditure, translating to 35 per cent.
The budget tagged: “The People’s Budget of Recovery and Consolidation”, according to the governor, would be financed from the statutory allocation as well as an improved Internally Generated Revenue, IGR.
He said the budget will prepare the ground for the implementation of the recently launched 25 years development plan of the state.
The sectoral allocation of the budget indicates that education has the highest share of N16.2billion, followed by N15.7billion for reconstruction, rehabilitation, and resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, and refugees; N11.7 billion was allocated to works for construction and rehabilitation of roads in parts of the state, which are to include rehabilitation of Damboa- Biu road, Chibok-Askira road, Jiddari Polo road, Customs flyover, dualisation of Post Office to Gwange Graveyard, dualisation of Customs to Muna road, laying of Maiduguri – Bama road, urban renewal of Askira and Monguno, among others.
The health sector secured N10.4billion for the construction of an Orthopaedic hospital and funding of ongoing Borno State University Teaching Hospital.
Agriculture was allocated N9.4 billion and N5.7 billion to Borno State Road Maintenance Agency, BORMA, while N4.2 billion was allocated for housing and energy towards construction of new city estate of 500 houses in Maiduguri and shopping complexes in each of the state’s senatorial district.
Zulum announced a plan to support 100, 000 farmers in irrigation farming and expand outreach to local governments.
Abdulkarim Lawan, the speaker, appreciated the governor’s commitment to the development of the state and promised the speedy passage of the Bill.
Source: The Nation
