Niger State Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello has presented the 2023 appropriation bill of over N238bn (N238,924,457,782.47) to the state House of Assembly.
Bello christened the appropriation bill, the ‘Budget of Consolidation and Transition’ in Minna.
The 2023 Budget, which is 2,96 per cent higher than the 2022 appropriation, is made up of N91,044,745,351.31 or 38.11% recurrent expenditure while N147,879,712,431.16 or 61.89% is proposed for capital expenditure.
He explained that the proposed budget is expected to be financed by the Statutory Allocation of N61,094,737,097.00 representing 25.57%; Value Added Tax (VAT), N35,616,260,802.00 or 14.90%; Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), N22,519,483,986.00 or 9.43%; Excess Crude/Other Revenue =N4,257,726,144 or 1.78% and Capital Receipts, N115,436,249,753.47 or 48.30%.
The Governor noted the necessity for the review of the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), pointing out that attention would be accorded to infrastructural development to attract private sector investment to enhance earnings.
Bello said, ” in this regard, the Economic Sector has the highest estimate of N98,786,069,351.92 or 66.80% of the capital expenditure. The social sector is earmarked N38,442,105,896.73 (26.00%), the Administrative Sector has N9,326,537,182.51 or 6.30% while the Law and Justice Sector gets N1,325,000,000.00 representing 0.90%”.
The Governor further disclosed that the administration will continue to support farmers and boost agricultural productivity in view of the sector’s obvious, strategic importance as the major occupation of the state’s teeming population and the backbone of its economy.
He thanked the Speaker and other members of the State Assembly, the Judiciary and civil societies among others for their continued cooperation with the executive arm in an effort to collectively improve the quality of life of the people of the state.
Bello then appreciated residents of the state for their abiding faith in his administration, since he got the mandate in 2015.
The Speaker, Niger State House of Assembly, Abdullahi Bawa Wuse in his remarks commended the executive arm for the presentation of the 2023 Budget Estimate and assured of the commitment of the Assembly to ensure quick passage of the appropriation bill.
Wuse added, “we promise to collectively work with the executive and relevant agencies to vigorously improve on the IGR of the state for the betterment of all”.