2025 budget: Reps approve N1.486trn for Rivers

The House of Representatives, during Tuesday’s plenary, approved the sum of N1.486 trillion as the budget for Rivers State for the 2025 fiscal year.

The approval was granted following the adoption of the recommendations of the Ad-hoc Committee set up to oversee Rivers State, chaired by Hon. Julius Ihonvbere, at the Committee of Supply.

Giving the synopsis of the Committee’s report, Hon. Ihonvbere explained that the bill seeks to authorise the issuance from the Rivers State Government Statutory Revenue Fund of the Rivers State Account, of the total sum of N1,485,662,592,444. Of this amount, the sum of N256,423,694,639 (17.26% of the total budget) is for personnel cost, N162,582,693,678 (10.94%) is for overhead cost, while N1,066,656,204,127 (71.80%) is earmarked for capital expenditure for the year ending 31st December 2025.

According to him, the report was laid on 22nd July 2025.

While the Committee acknowledged that the budget reflected a strong capital focus, with over 70% of the total expenditure allocated to capital projects, it further explained that the total revenue comprises N919.64 billion from recurrent revenue, N559.18 billion as Rivers State’s share of FAAC, N360.46 billion in independent revenue, and N352.48 billion—including a N250 billion debt component—from other receipts.

During the review of the proposed budget, the Ad-hoc Committee resolved to reallocate the total sum of N35 billion, originally comprising N19.5 billion and N15.5 billion allocated under the Government House budget for security surveillance, renewable power supply, and procurement of gunboats, to other projects.

According to the report seen exclusively by the Nigerian Tribune, the sum of N10 billion was allocated to the Ministry of Special Projects for the construction of internal roads in selected local government areas in the state.

An additional N10 billion was allocated to the same ministry for the construction and rehabilitation of rural roads in selected rural communities across the state.

The sum of N5 billion was added to the security vote under the Office of the State Governor.

Also, the sum of N5 billion was added to the contingency reserve under the Office of the State Governor.

The Ad-hoc Committee further allocated N5 billion to the Central Delivery Unit, also under the Office of the State Governor.

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