ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY, MUHAMMADU INUWA YAHAYA CON (DAN MAJEN GOMBE), GOVERNOR OF GOMBE STATE, ON THE OCCASION OF THE PRESENTATION OF THE 2025 BUDGET PROPOSAL TO THE GOMBE STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY, HELD ON TUESDAY 19TH NOVEMBER, 2024
Protocols
It is with gratitude to God and deep sense of responsibility that I address you today on the formal presentation of the 2025 Budget proposal for your esteemed consideration and eventual passage into law, as stipulated in Section 121(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
2. The 2025 budget has been crafted in alignment with local, national, and global economic realities, prioritizing the developmental needs of our people while emphasizing sustainability, equity, and inclusiveness. It reflects our commitment to fostering growth, providing opportunities, and addressing pressing challenges in key sectors of the economy.
3. I would like to sincerely thank the Honourable House for its unwavering support and collaboration since the start of this administration in 2019. Much of our success is attributed to the strong and harmonious relationship between the executive and legislative branches of government.
Review of the 2024 Budget Implementation
4. Rt. Hon. Speaker, Hon. Members, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, it is important to highlight the implementation of the 2024 budget as follows:· For the 2024 fiscal year, the sum of N208,064,000,000.00 was approved. This was made up of N87,520,200,000.00 as recurrent expenditures and N120,543,800,000.00 as capital expenditures, representing 42.06% and 57.94% of the approved budget respectively.
· The 2024 budget was expected to be financed by an estimated recurrent revenue of N121,160,755,500.00 a capital receipt of N94,250,000,000.00, and a closing balance of N18,108,445,500.00.
· However, during the year under review, the budget was reviewed to N364,713,011,854.92 through a supplementary budget which was submitted to the Honorable House and was approved accordingly.
· Our recurrent revenue performance as at 30th September 2024 stood at N188,373,403,201.97 representing 78.11% of our recurrent revenue projections.
· The recurrent expenditure performance was N65,115,857,560.44 for the same period representing 65.22% of the recurrent expenditure budget. The sum of N101,293,408,490.26 was generated as capital receipts, representing a performance of 47.03% of our projected capital receipts. For the capital budget, the sum of N114,141,915,328.12 was expended on capital projects and programs as at 30th September 2024, representing 43.09% of the capital expenditure budget.
· Overall budget performance stood at N179,257,772,888.56 as at 30th September 2024, representing 49.15%.
Achievements and Commitments:
5. Before delving into the specifics of the 2025 budget, allow me to highlight some of the notable achievements of this administration:
– Infrastructure Development: Our administration has constructed over 800 kilometres of road networks under our network 11-100 program, delivering enhanced connectivity and improved economic activities across the state. As you are all aware, we recently signed an MoU for the construction of a 100MW solar power plant in order to drive industrialisation and ensure energy independence.– Education Sector: We have built over 1,600 classrooms, and thereby enhancing access to quality education for our young population. We recruited 1,000 teachers to bridge the human resource gap in our education sector. We also upgraded five legacy secondary schools into Mega Schools, with the capacity to accommodate up to 15,000 students and equipped them with state-of-the-art facilities. Through the BESDA program, we successfully mopped up over 450,000 out-of-school children, as well as constructed Integrated Tsangaya Model schools in each of our Local Government Areas so as to align them with modern basic education. At the tertiary education level, we completed the Dukku Campus of the Gombe State University, settled outstanding allowances for academic staff, and provided funding for the successful take-off of the Lincoln University, Kumo Campus.
– Health Sector: Our achievements in the health sector include the provision of a fully functional Primary Health Care facility in each of our 114 wards, upgrade of the State Specialist Hospital in Gombe, along with the General Hospitals in Kaltungo and Bajoga, while the construction of a brand-new general hospital in Kumo and a 600-student capacity College of Nursing and Midwifery have reached advanced stage. We also ensured affordable healthcare coverage for about 300,000 residents under the Go-Health Scheme, including 100,000 vulnerable individuals.
– Agriculture: Over the past years, we ensured timely distribution of subsidized fertilizer, seedlings and other agricultural inputs to support our farmers in each rainy season, as well as irrigation support to farmers. We have also built 5 farm service centres, with the support of the North-east Development Commission. We are also working hard to ensure the successful implementation of the National Livestock Transformation Project.
– Water, Environment & Sanitation: We have gone far on the expansion and rehabilitation of the Gombe Regional Water Supply Scheme and have implemented small towns water supply schemes, along with the building and rehabilitation of about 1,250 boreholes, mostly in rural areas. We are equally working hard to control major gullies threatening our communities, such as the GSU-Mallam Inna, FCE (T), and GSSS Doma – Hayin Misau.
– Public Service Reforms: Gombe State is among the first states to implement the 70,000-naira minimum wage. Since 2019, we have cleared over N14 billion in inherited gratuity liabilities. We are also up-to-date on the payment of pensions to our retirees. Very soon, we will settle additional 4.27 billion in gratuity liabilities, thus demonstrating our commitment to helping thousands of our retirees and giving them a dignified life after service.
– Governance Infrastructure: The ongoing construction of the Three Arms Zone, encompassing the state secretariat, state house of assembly, and state high court complexes, is a testament to our vision of fostering institutional strength by the provision of physical structures and conducive working environment, thus leaving a lasting legacy of service to generations yet unborn.
The 2025 Budget Proposal:
6. Rt. Honorable Speaker, Honorable members, distinguished guests; in our efforts to address the developmental aspirations of the people of Gombe State in the 2025 fiscal year, I hereby present a proposed budget of N320,110,000,000.00 only. Out of this, N111,087,215,000.00 is allocated for recurrent expenditure, accounting for 34.70%, while N209,022,785,000.00 is earmarked for capital expenditure, representing 65.30% of the total budgeted sum.7. In the 2025 fiscal year, we plan to generate the sum of N160,270,745,000.00 only as recurrent revenues, and the sum of N71,520,000,000.00 only as capital receipts, while our estimated closing balance for 2024 is expected to be N11,680,745,000.00 only.
Revenue and Expenditure Estimates:
8. The proposed sectoral allocation for the 2025 budget is as follows:
(i) Recurrent Revenue Receipts: These are expected to be sourced as follows:
a) Internally Generated Revenue – N25,020,745,000.00
b) Statutory Allocation – N15,000,000,000.00
c) Government share of VAT – N60,000,000,000.00
d) Other FAAC receipts – N60,250,000,000.00(ii) Recurrent Expenditure: comprises of the following:
a) Personnel Cost – N30,230,765,000.00
b) Overhead Cost – N35,195,250,000.00
c) Social benefits – N 8,034,000,000.00
d) Debt repayments – N37,225,000,000.00
e) Grants and subsidies – N402,200,000.00(iii) Capital Receipts: This is expected to be accrued from:
a) Opening Balance – N100,000,000,000.00
b) Transfer from Consolidated
Revenue Fund – N149,183,530,000.00
c) Other Capital Receipts – N4,500,000,000.00
d) Domestic Grants – N15,720,000,000.00
e) External Grants – N 5,300,000,000.00
f) External Credit – N39,000,000,000.00
g) Domestic borrowings – N7,000,000,000.00iv. Capital Expenditure: To implement our expenditure plan for the 2025 fiscal year, sectoral allocations are broadly categorized under the following sectors:
(Naira)
a
Economic Sector
N138,040,600,000.00
b
Social Sector
N58,866,185,000.00
c
General Administration Sector
N9,008,000,000.00
d
Law and Justice Sector
N3,108,000,000.00Proposed Sectoral Allocation
Economic Sector
i
Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Cooperatives
N12,751,800,000.00
ii
Trade, Industry and Tourism
N4,457,000,000.00
iii
Works, Housing and Transport
N85,219,435,000
iv
Land Administration
N3,773,000,000.00
v
Water Resources, Environment and Forest Resources
N19,048,210,000.00Social Sector
vi
Education
N32,359,440,000.00
vii
Higher Education
N15,157,330,000.00
viii
Health
N32,418,185,000.00
ix
Youth & Sports Development
N4,724,850,000.00
x
Women Affairs and Social Development
N1,341,000,000.00
xi
Information & Culture
N1,409,000,000.00
xii
General Administration
N9,008,000,000.00
xiii
Law and Justice
N6,759,720,000.00Challenges and the Way Forward
9. As we navigate the complexities of governance, we remain mindful of our challenges such as rising cost of living, limited fiscal space, climate-induced vulnerabilities, and the increasing demands for public services from the populace. To overcome these challenges, we will:
– Strengthen our revenue base through enhanced tax collection and cut unnecessary spending through fiscal reforms.
– Mobilize private sector investments to complement public resources.
– Prioritize sustainable and impactful programs to maximize resource utilization and result delivery.10. Recently, I had some productive engagements with members of the legislature, LGA chairpersons, religious leaders, traditional rulers, civil society organizations, and other key stakeholders to provide a clear understanding of our state’s current financial situation. During these discussions, I outlined the proactive measures we are implementing to eliminate unnecessary expenditures while prioritizing the welfare of our people. I call on all citizens to support these efforts as we navigate these challenging and difficult times together, with the shared goal of sustaining progress and ensuring the well-being of all.
11. In the 2025 fiscal year, we made significant provisions for nutrition, particularly to address the urgent need for child-focused interventions. This includes funding for programs aimed at improving dietary diversity, reducing malnutrition rates, and ensuring access to nutritional support for the vulnerable members of our communities.
12. We remain committed to the implementation of the Development Agenda for Gombe State (DEVAGOM), which encapsulates our vision for a more resilient and prosperous state. Provisions in this budget underscore our commitment to achieving DEVAGOM’s objectives by integrating and mainstreaming the sustainable development goals (SDGs) in all the affairs of government.
Presentation Of The 2025 Budget
13. Rt. Honourable Speaker, Honourable Members, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, it is now my singular honour to present to this esteemed House the 2025 budget proposal amounting to N320,110,000,000.00 titled the “Budget of Commitment and Resilience.” It underscores our unwavering commitment to overcoming challenges and fostering inclusive growth for the collective well-being of our people.14. I urge this Honourable House to critically appraise and enrich this budget proposal, thus ensuring that it meets the aspirations of our people. Together, we will continue to build a resilient, inclusive, and prosperous Gombe State.
15. Thank you for listening and God bless you all.
God bless Gombe State!
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria!!
