News
Governor Peter Mbah Budgets N41billion To Acquire Four Aircraft In 2025 For ‘Enugu Air’
Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has announced his administration’s plan to acquire four aircraft with a total of N41,132,463,000 to expand Enugu Air.
Mbah’s administration had on October 2023 announced plans to establish a state-owned airline, Enugu Air, within the next 15 months.
However, presenting N971billion 2025 Budget Appropriation to the State House of Assembly on Tuesday, Governor Mbah reiterated his administration’s determination to transform Enugu State into a commercial hub within Nigeria.
Presenting the estimates entitled “Budget of Exponential Growth and Inclusive Prosperity” at the floor of the House, Mbah said the proposed budget comprised N837.9billion Capital Expenditure, representing 86 per cent of the budget, and a Recurrent Expenditure component of N133.1billion, representing 14 per cent of the budget.
He said, “In the area of Transport, we will be spending a total of N41,132,463,000 to expand Enugu Air with the acquisition of 4 additional aircraft. In addition, we will be consummating the concessioning of the Akanu Ibiam international airport as well as the construction of an international cargo terminal.
“We will also be floating a new taxi scheme in collaboration with the private sector to modernize urban and inter-urban transportation for Ndi Enugu.”
However, he told the House that 2025 Budget Appropriation topples the record-holding 2024 budget of N521.5billion, consisting of N414.3billion Capital Expenditure, representing 79 per cent of the total budget and N107.2billion Recurrent Expenditure, representing about 21 per cent.
However, like the 2024 budget, the 2025 budget proposal emphasizes huge investment in education as well as basic but critical infrastructure and amenities like roads and bridges, water supply, transport services, energy, modernization and digitization of public services and associated processes, with the Education sector getting a lion-share of N320.6billion, representing over 33 per cent of the total budget for two consecutive years.
Mbah said that this was in line with his administration target of poverty eradication and an inclusive development model, which ensures that no one or segment of the society is left behind.
The governor equally announced a growth in the state’s Internally Generated Revenue, from N37.4billion at the end of 2023 to N144.7billion in September 2024, representing a radical 286.2 per cent increase in line with the administration’s deliberate effort to wean the state off reliance on allocations by the Federal Account Allocation Committee.
Addressing the House, Mbah said, “In crafting this budget, we have sort to continue to lay the right foundation in Enugu to enhance the economy and attract even more private investment.
“In spite of the dreary economic environment across the country, for us here in Enugu, we have elected to remain bullish in our aspirations, and to double down on our commitment to elevate our state to top three status in terms of GDP nationally, and eradicate poverty from our midst.
“Indeed, we see this as a vindication of our previously espoused view that sustainable national growth can really only be driven from the sub-national units to the federal levels, and not the other way round as we have attempted to do to date.
“It is on account of this that we are proposing to the House of Assembly today, a budget with a total envelope of N971,084,000,000 as against the budget for 2024 fiscal year which totaled N521,561,386,000.
“This represents an 86.4 per cent increase from the 2024 revised budget.
“The budget is broken down as follows: N133,140,000,000 as Recurrent Expenditure and N837,944,000,000 as Capital Expenditure,” he said.
Naijablitznews.com recalled that upon assumption of office, the Minister pledged to reform Nigeria’s livestock industry to enhance food security, create a safe environment for all stakeholders, and attract foreign investment.
He disclosed a vision for the newly established ministry to include comprehensive reforms aimed at “unbundling” the sector, strengthening infrastructure, and meeting Nigeria’s growing demand for animal protein.
Akwa Ibom State governor, Pastor Umo Eno, presented a proposed total budget outlay of N955 billion for the 2025 fiscal year to the State House of Assembly for consideration on Tuesday.
This was against the revised provision of N923.46 billion in the 2024 budget.
The 2025 financial appropriation estimate comprised recurrent expenditures of N300 billion and capital expenditures of N655 billion.
Eno said that the total capital receipts and expenditure for the year 2025 is estimated at N655 billion as against the proposed revised provision of N573.32 billion for 2024.
He said that the 2025 Budget, which is christened “Budget for Consolidation and Expansion,” is predicated on an oil benchmark of $75 per barrel at a production rate of 2.12 million barrels per day with an estimated exchange rate of N1,400/US$.
The Governor added that the 2025 oil benchmark and exchange rate is in line with the National Budget benchmark projections.
He said that the total projected recurrent revenue for 2025 is estimated at ₦830 billion as against the proposed revised provision of B803.70 billion, representing a 3 per cent increase in revenue projection for the year 2025.
The governor said the policy thrust objectives of the 2025 budget would be to achieve food security through investing heavily in the agricultural revolution.
Other objectives included rural development through robust investments in modern living facilities such as all seasonal roads, rural electrification and others within rural communities to ultimately improve the quality of life for those in the rural areas and help stem rural-urban migration. Ensuring that public schools in the state are equipped and staffed by teachers who are passionate and dedicated.
He said to realise the year 2025 budget objectives, the state shall adopt and improve the effectiveness of budget performance by ensuring fiscal discipline through the implementation of only programmes that were captured in the budget, among other strategies.
In his remarks, Speaker of the Assembly, Udeme Otong, assured the governor that the lawmakers would quicken the consideration process to ensure speedy passage of the 2025 budget estimate to fasten development in the state.
Otong urged all heads of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) in the state to cooperate with the House of Assembly during the budget defence to ensure speedy passage of the budget.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Pate said the annual loss to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product from malaria exceeds $1.1bn.
Prof Pate said this in Abuja at the inaugural meeting of the Advisory Body on Malaria Elimination in Nigeria.
A statement by the Deputy Director of Information & Public Relations at the ministry, Alaba Balogun, on Tuesday, stated that Pate described malaria as not just a health crisis, but an economic and developmental emergency that must be eliminated.
Pate said the launch of the advisory body was a bold and decisive step to confront and address the disease.
He said, “Malaria continues to exert an unacceptable toll on Nigeria. With 27 per cent of global malaria cases and 31 per cent of global malaria deaths, our country bears the heaviest burden of this disease. In 2022, over 180,000 Nigerian children under the age of five lost their lives to malaria – a tragedy we have the tools to prevent.
“This is not just a health crisis; it is an economic and developmental emergency. Malaria reduces productivity, increases out-of-pocket health expenditures and, compounds the challenges of poverty. The annual loss to Nigeria’s GDP from malaria exceeds $1.1bn, a stark reminder of the economic imperative of elimination.”
The minister said malaria elimination was a critical component of the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative framework for transforming the health sector, in alignment with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the present administration.
He also highlighted the importance of traditional and religious leaders to drive grassroots support and influence behavioural change.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, affirmed the advisory body as a group of experts who will provide evidence based advisory to help the country to reduce its unacceptable malaria burden, and set up realistic paths to a malaria-free Nigeria.
“For us to succeed, the private sector, the international partners, the healthcare workers and, the communities we serve must be harnessed and coordinated,” Salako added.
The advisory body is made up of globally renowned experts under the leadership of Prof Rose Leke.
The experts are charged with refocusing on advancing evidence-based solutions that address current challenges, ensuring that malaria elimination is prioritised in the budgets and plans of all levels of government and, creating frameworks for accountability that ensure sustained progress.
Nigeria’s Livestock Sector Will Generate N33trn Revenue If Properly Harnessed – Minister Maiha
Gov Eno presents N955bn budget to Akwa Ibom Assembly
Nigeria loses $1.1bn to malaria yearly – Minister
Just in: Terrorists ambush military truck, kill all soldiers on board
Nigerian Dancer, Korra Obidi Attacked with acid, stabbed on stage In UK
Meet Rare Gem 16 Years Old Chiaza, CEO of ‘RUN MARKET PLACE’
-
News22 hours agoBREAKING: Makarfi dies in Kaduna at 93
-
News19 hours agoSimon Ekpa reportedly released from Finnish police detention
-
Metro15 hours agoWoman, baby die in Ondo church during delivery, police arrest prophetess
-
Metro19 hours agoPolice arrest drug dealer, robber in Bauchi
-
Metro2 hours agoSAD! Gas explosion rocks Lagos market, 11 shops damaged
-
Metro19 hours agoLibya arrests four Nigerians over drug trafficking, health risks
-
Metro2 hours agoMany admitted after reacting to drugs shared during free medical outreach
-
News19 hours agoPort Harcourt Refinery: Lifting of petroleum products begins as NNPCL starts operations