Niger gov proposes N108.1bn budget for 2017

Niger State governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, on Friday, presented N108,074, 298,251 appropriation to the state House of Assembly for 2017, even as he  planned to re-introduce teachers’ training programme.

The budget  proposal tagged as” Budget of Consolidation,” was higher than the 2016 approved budget by over N22 billion representing 21.27 per cent.

“Out of the revenue,  a  sum of N50, 695,206,724.00, is expected from statutory allocation, N12, 403, 874,117.00 ,would be serviced from Internally Generated Revenue (IGR); value added tax, N8,793,447,040.00, while a  sum of N22,781,770,370.00, is expected from capital receipts made up of expected drawn-downs from development partner projects, grants and loans,” the governor   explained  while presenting the proposal on the floor of the Assembly.

Speaking  further, he said N13, 400,000,000.00 ,was   refund of proceeds from the Paris Club loan being carried over to 2017,  adding   that the proposed recurrent expenditure for the coming year stands at N48,047,960,278.00 ,representing 44.45 pe r cent, while   the capital expenditure is estimated at N60,026,337,973.00, representing 55.55 per cent of the total budget.

He further  said that education sub-sector has the highest allocation with N4,155,074,176.00, followed by agriculture, with N3,144,000,000.00, earmarked for activities in the sector.

Going by the sectorial allocation, health has, N2.051 billion; infrastructure and transport, N1.273 billion; water and sanitation, N1.160 billion; women and development, N1.1billion, while youth and sports has, N2,100,800,000.00 ,among others.

He said in a bid to provide  professional and quality teachers in schools across the state,  he  said that a Teachers’  Institute, would be established to coordinate the training.

The state, according to him,  also planned to establish three teachers training colleges in Agaie, Nasarawa-Kainji and Mararaban Dan-Dauda, areas of the state.