Bayelsa governor presents N689.4 billion budget for 2025 fiscal year

While giving the expenditure breakdown, Governor Diri said N178.7 billion was budgeted for Works and Infrastructure; Education, N47.1 billion; and Sports, N37.8 billion.

Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State on Thursday presented a N689.4 billion budget proposal for the 2025 fiscal year to the Bayelsa House of Assembly.

Mr Diri said that implementing the 2025 budget would require some level of efficiency and synergy in government activities across ministries, departments, and agencies.

While giving the expenditure breakdown, Mr Diri said N178.7 billion was budgeted for Works and Infrastructure, N47.1 billion for Education and N37.8 billion for Sports.

Others are urban and Housing Development, N13.6 billion; energy and Power, N14.4 billion; agriculture, N16.6 billion; security, N19 billion; health, N19.1 billion; and Community Development, N10.2 billion.

The governor said the overall outcome of the 2025 budget would significantly depend on the level of fiscal and recurrent policy coordination.

He added that the government desired to pursue robust development, as enunciated in the budget.

He said: “We have consciously crafted this 2025 budget in such a manner that we are mobilising funds for human and capital infrastructural development initiatives.

“Covering the seven core areas of the Assured Agenda, which are Agricultural rural revolution and blue economy; sports and youths development; security and peace; urban renewal and rural development, robust health care delivery; energy generation; economic growth and tourism; diversified education towards innovation and technology by ensuring that our recurrent expenditure is kept within limits.”

Highlighting some projects executed under the 2024 budget of N489.4 billion and a supplementary budget of N270.8 billion, Mr Diri said work was ongoing on the three senatorial roads and internal roads in Yenagoa.

He said the government was building technical colleges in all local government areas, providing grants to tertiary institutions, providing economic welfare and wage awards for civil servants, and training youths in agriculture for food security.

(NAN)