The Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, has presented a ₦584 billion budget titled the “Budget of Recovery and Continuity” to the state’s House of Assembly for approval.
Presenting the Appropriation Bill for the 2025 fiscal year to the lawmakers on Monday, December 9, 2024, Governor Zulum said the budget focuses on the recovery and continuity of good governance while rebuilding critical infrastructure as reflected in its title.
According to Zulum, the 2025 budget, which is divided into two parts, proposes ₦323.47 billion for capital expenditure and ₦204.71 billion for recurrent expenditure.
Zulum informed the lawmakers that his administration would fund the budget through recurrent revenue of ₦279.51 billion, which includes Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) receipts of ₦249.42 billion and Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of ₦30.09 billion.
Expressing optimism about fulfilling his campaign promises to the people of Borno, Zulum stated, “This budget is informed by our commitment to fulfill promises made to the people. Our estimates are based on realistic assumptions aligned with the Federal Government’s 2025–2027 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework.
“We shall block wastages and intensify revenue generation efforts to achieve our targets,” Zulum added, assuring citizens of transparency and accountability in implementing the budget.
The governor detailed that a significant portion of the budget has been earmarked for education.
With plans to build five mega schools, rehabilitate 15 existing schools, train 2,000 teachers, and recruit 500 more, Zulum expressed confidence that the 2025 budget would promote quality education in the state.
Reiterating his administration’s commitment to education, Zulum said, “The government remains committed to improving access to quality education, especially for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and marginalized communities.”
He highlighted that the budget would enable the state government to expand its scholarship initiative to include IDPs, orphans, and other vulnerable groups.
“The education of our youth is critical to the future of Borno. We are expanding the scholarship programme to benefit IDPs, orphans, and other vulnerable groups, targeting over 30,000 students in tertiary institutions,” Zulum explained.
On agriculture and water resources, Governor Zulum said, “These investments will empower our farmers and ensure food sufficiency for the state.”
To address perennial water scarcity, the government has allocated ₦11.6 billion for water resources.
He explained that these funds would cover key water projects, including constructing seven additional waterworks, 50 hybrid boreholes, 2,000 wells, and 1,789 solar-powered irrigation pumps across the state.
“In rural areas, these initiatives will support farmers and ensure access to clean water,” he added.
Zulum also noted that the budget covers rural development, ensuring the construction of roads, markets, and other facilities to boost local economies and improve livelihoods.
The governor further stated that the budget will address insecurity in the state.
“This budget reflects our determination to recover from the challenges of insurgency and natural disasters while laying the foundation for sustained development.”
He urged members of the House of Assembly to prioritize the consideration and approval of the proposed budget, which he said would significantly benefit the people of Borno State.
