Education gets lion’s share as Buni presents N108.4bn budget
Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni yesterday presented the 2020 budget estimates of N108.4bn to the State House of Assembly.
The education sector gets the lion’s share of the fiscal document tagged “Budget of Continuity and Consolidation.”
Daily Trust reports that the 2020 Appropriation Bill is N16.7bn higher than that of 2019.
A sum of N58,048,101,082, representing 53.5% of the budget estimates, is for recurrent expenditure; and N50,366,000,000 (46.5%) for capital expenditure programmes.
The education sector gets N22.8b; Works, Transport and Energy, N16bn; Health, N12.6bn; Land, Housing and Property Development, N8.8bn; Agriculture, N4.6bn; Water Resources, N1.9bn as well as Commerce, Industry and Tourism, N4.4bn.
Buni said the focus of the budget would be first to build on the momentum to revitalize the education sector and boost agriculture by encouraging a transition from traditional subsistent to commercial farming.
He said: “You may recall that since our assumption of office, we have taken proactive approaches to addressing the challenges in our education sector, especially in primary and secondary education. We have organised and hosted an education summit, set up a Technical Committee on the Revitalization of Basic and Secondary Education and resolved to implement the recommendations of the Committee.”
He said the budget would seek to boost agriculture by encouraging a transition from traditional subsistent to commercial farming as his administration “is poised to improve food security and provide avenues for wealth creation and youth empowerment.”
He said his government would seek to improve access to qualitative and affordable healthcare for citizens by upgrading healthcare infrastructure and ensuring that hospitals, clinics and health centres have the basic requirements to function efficiently and effectively.
He said critical infrastructure such as roads, water supply and sanitation facilities, electricity, among others would be built and upgraded to accelerate efforts on post-insurgency resettlement, rehabilitation, reconstruction and peace building.
Buni said his administration had opened discussions with potential domestic and foreign investors for the construction of a new cement factory in the state to effectively utilize the state’s “abundant gypsum and limestone deposits. We are also exploring a wide range of partnerships to build meat processing and diary factories for export.”
On security, the governor said a Special Security Trust Fund would soon be instituted in the state as the enabling draft executive bill would soon be transmitted to the legislative arm.
“There is no doubt that, despite recent isolated incidences, there is general improvement in the security situation in the state. This in fact was achieved as a result of the dedication and gallantry of our Armed Forces and other security agencies. It is also a testimony to the resilience of our people across the state and the level of cooperation and support they have been giving and will continue to give to the security agencies involved in the fight against insurgency and other forms of crime,” he said.