Road, education prioritised as Makinde presents N208.8bn 2020 budget

At an estimated budgetary sum of N208,802,972,878, the priority of governance in Oyo state in 2020 will be Infrastructure, Education, Healthcare and Agriculture.

About 47.96 percent of the total budget sum, that is, N100,142,690,046, is for capital expenditure, while 52.04 percent, N108,660,282,832, is recurrent expenditure.

Projected revenue include a monthly Internally Generated Revenue target of at least N3billion, N24.32 billion from Ministries, Departments and Agencies; N86.02 billion is expected from statutory allocations; N33.50billion from capital receipts and N28.99 billion to be derived from loans for capital projects.

As presented by Governor Seyi Makinde at the state House of Assembly, on Wednesday, 23.93 per cent will be expended on ongoing and proposed road projects, 22.37 per cent on education, 5.18 per cent is budgeted to be spent on the health sector while 4.43 per cent is to be devoted to Agriculture.

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The budget speech shows that the highest sum of N49.97billion is allocated to infrastructure development out of which the sum of N35.4 billion is provided for ongoing and proposed road projects.

To ensure a spread in the fixing of dilapidated roads across the state, he said the Oyo State Road Maintenance Agency was to establish zonal offices in Oyo, Ogbomoso, Saki and Ibarapa.

Acknowledging deficits in teachers’ recruitment and training, need to construct and renovate classrooms, provide security in schools, need to capital projects and regular payment of subventions to state-owned higher institutions, N46.70billion has been budgeted to address challenges in the education sector.

With increased funding, provision of exercise books and textbooks, distribution of a compilation of past examination questions to students, Makinde said the state was poised to move up from its 26th position in West Africa School Certificate Examination.

In taking the state from a situation where its hospitals were mere consulting clinics, N10.81billion was allocated to the health sector.

Precisely, the general hospitals in Eruwa, Tede and Iseyin will be renovated in the 2020 fiscal year.

To cope with pressure on its health facilities, Makinde said he had given approval for the recruitment of 500 medical and health workers at the state college of Nursing and Midwifery and the College of Health Science and Technology.

An estimated sum of N9.25billion is allocated to Agriculture with resolve by the state government to implement policies that will transform farming activities, increase production, improve the quality of food crops, livestock exports and industrial crops.

Makinde further avowed that the Oyo State Agricultural Development Programme (OYSADEP) will be restructured and strengthened for efficiency, while its headquarters will be Saki.

As against a budget performance of 38 per cent in the 2019 budget, Makinde said the current administration targeted at least 70 per cent budget implementation.

Summing up remarks by his fellow lawmakers, Speaker of the state Assembly, Honourable Adebo Ogundoyin described the budget as all-inclusive going by its focus on social services, education, health and agriculture.

Noting the need to revamp Primary Health Centres and the health sector at large, Ogundoyin, however, said the Assembly would have wanted more than 5.18 per cent to be allocated to the health sector.

While assuring of a quick consideration and passage of the 2020 appropriation bill into law, Ogundoyin urged Ministries, Departments and Agencies to respond in a timely and appropriate manner during the budget defence.