The Nigerian Senate has approved a N1.485 trillion 2025 budget for Rivers State on Wednesday, June 25.
The passage was made following the consideration of the Ad-Hoc Committee on Rivers State report by the upper chamber during the Committee of Supply session.
The purpose of the bill is to authorize the issuance of N1,485,662,592,442 from Rivers State’s Consolidated Revenue Fund for the fiscal year that ends on December 31, 2025.
The approved budget breakdown includes N120.8 billion for debt servicing, N287.38 billion for recurrent (non-debt) expenditure, and N1.077 trillion for capital expenditure.
Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central), however, expressed concern about the extra 50 billion naira designated for the payment of unpaid pensions and gratuities even though he supported the bill’s passage.
He called on the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee to exercise stricter oversight in order to guarantee that the money gets to the legitimate pension recipients as soon as possible.
Now, the Rivers State 2025 budget will move forward for approval and execution.
President Bola Tinubu suspended the state’s House of Assembly and sent the 2025 Appropriations Bill for Rivers State to the National Assembly for review in May.
Recall that after a lengthy political dispute between the state governor and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who is currently the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, the president proclaimed a state of emergency in Rivers State on March 18. In his announcement, President Tinubu suspended the state governor and state House of Assembly members.
Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (rtd) was then named administrator by the President to oversee state affairs for the first six months.
