The Kebbi Governor, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, on Thursday presented a budget proposal of One Hundred and Eighty Nine point Two billion naira (N189,237,459,798.27k) for the 2022 fiscal year to the Kebbi State House of Assembly.
Presenting the budget, Bagudu said One hundred and twenty-eight point two billion naira (N128,177,008,113.97) will be devoted for capital projects while sixty-one billion naira (N61,060,451,684.31) goes to recurrent expenditure.
Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu announced this while presenting the 2022 budget, tagged “Budget of Economic Consolidation” to the Kebbi State House of Assembly for ratification.
The Governor told the honourable members of the legislature that the focus of incumbent administration on the implementation of the budget was hinged on enhancing agriculture and mineral resources productivity.
This he said is tailored to providing access to improved technology, finance and services towards increasing income generation, food security and poverty reduction.
Furthermore, the government aims to improve livelihood of youths and women in an inclusive manner through job creation and social economic empowerment that delivers social progress and transformation.
Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu made it clear that in spite of the challenges brought about by covid-19 pandemic in the implementation of the last two budgets, his administration was able to remain resolute by maintaining payment of workers remuneration and running costs of government without stagnation of government machinery.
He added that despite shortfall in revenue, the government has continued to invest in human capital development while investments in social services have thrived.
According to him, this has been manifested in critical infrastructure, primarily roads, hospitals and schools while agriculture, the mainstay of the state has blossomed.
He informed the legislators that he was a recipient of an award from the Minister for Agriculture for being the only state in the federation to have met Maputo declaration target of dedicating ten percent of its budget to agriculture for three consecutive years.
He highlighted other achievements recorded in the 2021 budget to include expenditure of forty-five point five billion naira of the fifty-two billion naira revenue received as at September ending. In spite of such revenue gap, he said, the administration has constructed more than fifty-seven kilometers of roads at the cost of three point two billion naira across Kebbi state, provided clean drinking water by sinking boreholes and electrified more than one hundred towns at the cost of one billion naira.
Furthermore, compensation has been paid to pave way for construction of township roads and establishment of Kebbi Geographical Information System (KEBGIS) for computerization of land records at more than one billion naira.
Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu intimated the house that the state government has finalized arrangement to build six hundred and twenty affordable housing units and five thousand social housing units with five billion naira family homes loan budgeted for this fiscal year.
The governor was also delighted to announce that four hundred and eighty million naira has been paid as scholarship fees to Kebbi state indigenes studying in various institutions of learning across the country while preparations have been concluded to sponsor two hundred and fifty students of the state origin to study medicine and engineering abroad.
He said since the APC-led administration took over the mantle of leadership it has experienced rise of three hundred and eighty-three percent on internally generated revenue while Kebbi state is the third most capable state of investing in capital infrastructure after off-setting running costs and debt obligations.
Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu said with the support of the Kebbi State House of Assembly, the State ranked the fifth best fiscally managed state in the whole federation while it has now occupied seventh position as the least dependent State on federal allocation .
In the 2022 budget, the governor said that a CBN bridging loan of eighteen billion naira would be expended on infrastructure while part of the money would be spent on the new state secretariat scheduled to be completed and commissioned in 2022.
The Kebbi State Chie Executive said as part of legislative agenda of the administration, the government would strengthen digitalization of the state land records of which a bill would be transmitted to the house on institutionalization of Kebbi Geographic Information System which has already mapped out more than fifty percent of some urban areas including Birnin Kebbi, Zuru, Jega and Argungu.
The governor explained that the 2022 budget of economic consolidation has been designed for the present circumstance and preparing for the future that guarantees opportunities in the face of difficulties and challenges for economic growth and encompassing prosperity.
Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu thanked members of the state house of assembly for their cooperation, support and understanding with the executive arm of government which led to meaningful achievements recorded in the state.
Receiving the 2022 budget proposal, the Speaker of the House, Rt Hon. Muhammad Sani Abubakar Lolo commended the governor for extending an olive branch of working relationship the legislators.
He assured the governor that the budget would be given appropriate scrutiny and quick speedy passage.
