THE presentation of Delta State’s 2025 Budget by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori demonstrates a proactive step in consoliding the path of sustainable development in virtually all sectors. That it was presented in a timely manner is a pointer to the seriousness of the Delta State Government in fiscal planning and project execution as clearly spelt out in the budget proposal.
With the total budgeted sum standing at N936 billion, the 2025 Budget proposal christened “budget of fiscal consolidation” is the highest in the 33-year history of Delta State. It’s even more significant that for the first time since 1999, a princely N587.3 billion representing 62.75 per cent is allocated to the capital expenditure (capex) while recurrent expenditure got N348 billion, which translates into 37.2 per cent of the entire estimates. A clear portrayal of the Oborevwori administration’s vision to grow the state’s economy and render services needed to bolster the welfare of the people.
Remarkably, the 2025 budget proposal is higher with N211 billion over the approved sum of N725 billion, showing an increase of 29 per cent. As rightly stated by the governor, the increase arose from an improved receipt from the Federation Account Allocation Committee(FAAC) and a corresponding increase in the internally generated revenue (IGR) in the fading year 2024.
He spoke inter alia in the course of presenting the budget: “It’s my hope and fervent belief that the proposed 2025 budget is a correct reflection of our sincere and frank assessment of the amount the state can generate on its own, in addition to what it is projected to receive from the FAAC
“The 2025 budget contains several initiatives planned to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal on our people and all the attendant economic challenges it has brought upon us. These include deliberate provisions to strengthen our social protection interventions and safety nets, basic rural infrastructure, agriculture, food security, agro value chain, and Medium Small Enterprises(SMES).
It’s quite reassuring that the 2025 budget will focus on the provision of infrastructure which has indeed occupied the centrepiece of budgetary policies of past administrations. The idea behind it is to reach communities and zones which have not yet benefitted from the ambitious emplacement of infrastructure, with roads taking a lion share of the interventions. Besides, the attention being paid to infrastructure will also cover maintenance of existing facilities that require facelift after years of decrepitude.
On a general assessment, we are impressed by the higher allocation to capital expenditure over current expenditure. This conveys a progressive determination of a state in which its leadership is desirous of achieving growth in the critical sectors. Good a thing, Delta like most sub-nationals in Nigeria, are working round the clock to reverse the budgets of yesteryears blighted by huge recurrent expenditures and the concomitant stagnated development
As widely known, a huge capex holds promises of enhanced development in education, health, human capital development, job creation, wealth creation as well as generating measures to lift a number of our people from poverty. The aspect that relates to poverty reduction has become imperative due to the large number of persons that are evidently mired in poverty owing to the Tinubu administration’s harsh economic policies. Any programmes envisioned by the state government to ameliorate hardship would be a continuation of earlier initiatives targeted at the youth, women, and other demographic groups in the state.
Governor Oborevwori and the state’s economic team deserves commendation for a budget that seeks to consolidate the state’s economic trajectory with its beneficial import for more development and debt reduction. It offers hopes of better days. The state government needs the cooperation and support of the people as it revs up machinery to translate the budget proposal into realistic achievements in 2025.
