Gov. Mbah Presents N521.5B Budget Proposal To Enugu Assembly

…..As Education Gets Lion Share Of N134.5bn

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Enugu state governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, on Tuesday, presented a total of N521.5 billion budget proposal to the State House of Assembly, the highest since inception of the state.

He explained that the estimate, being his administration’s first full year budget estimate, will go a long way in setting the pace for the achievement of the state’s growth objectives.

The governor noted that of the total amount, N107.2bn is proposed for recurrent expenditure while N414.3bn is for capital expenditure, adding that education got 33 per cent of the total budget proposal with N134.5 billion.

According to him, the proposal christened: “Budget of disruptive economic growth” is structured to drive growth in a markedly different pattern than what had been attempted in the past.

He sad “We are proposing a total budget size of N521,561,386,000.00 for the 2024 fiscal year as against the approved revised provision of N224,697,899,063.00 for 2023. This represents a 132% increase from the 2023 revised budget.

“In the area of our revenues, we estimated that total recurrent revenues during 2024 will amount to N383,789,000,000.00 as against the approved revised provision for 2023 of N143,571,592,917.

“With the total recurrent expenditure at N107,227,266,000.00, this translates to a net recurrent revenue of N276,561,734,000.00, which is thus transferred to the capital development fund.

“The total capital expenditure for the year 2024 is projected at N414,334,120,000.00 as against ₦135,715,099,693.00 for 2023 revised budget.

He added that “the current capital expenditure estimate will be funded from the sum of N276,561,734,000.00 to be transferred from the consolidated revenue fund.

Mbah, who said that education was key to his administration’s plan to eradicate poverty, spoke of the plan to develop smart schools across the state, as well as to reposition senior secondary and tertiary institutions by training and retraining teachers to infuse technology appreciation and skills.

He also said that: “This budget allocates the sum of N21,777,421,000 to enhance healthcare facilities, expand access to quality healthcare services, and bolster our response to health emergencies.

“Our goal is to ensure every citizen has access to reliable and efficient healthcare. We pledge to upgrade healthcare facilities, ensure the availability of essential medicines, and implement initiatives to enhance public health awareness.

“In particular, we have commenced the construction of 260 Type-2 Primary Health Centres across the 260 wards in the state to centre for the health needs of rural communities.

“We also understand the significance of infrastructural development in propelling economic growth. Hence, N82,535,147,361.03 is planned for road construction, maintenance, and rehabilitation of public buildings across the state.

“This initiative will facilitate smoother connectivity, bolster trade, and enhance overall accessibility and attract investments that create jobs.

“N28, 970, 250, 000 is planned for the enhancement of the water sector to ensure safe and quality water supply to Ndi Enugu. This investment will ensure the expansion of the current water scheme by boosting reticulation of water across the Enugu metropolis.

Responding shortly after the presentation, Speaker of the House, Uche Ugwu, applauded the governor for fulfilling the constitutional obligation and assuring him that the legislators will support his administration to achieve the set objectives aimed at taking the state to the next level.