Sokoto State Governor, Ahmed Aliyu, on Friday, presented N270 billion as the 2024 budget to the State House of Assembly for consideration.
While presenting the budget, the governor said, “The proposed 2024 budget tagged ‘Budget of hope and resilience with infrastructural development in the sum of N270,134,091,757:01 kobo only.
“Of the proposed revenues, statutory allocation coming from the federation account is estimated in the sum of N138,929,550,974:00 only.
“Internally generated revenues are estimated in the sum of N37,085,037,053:63 only. This makes the total revenue to stand at 176,014,588,027:63 kobo.
“Our opening balance is 13,310,358,374,60k, capital receipts aids and grants are 14,396,222,781:12k. Capital development funds also stand at 60,379,186,380:00 making a total amount of 74,775,409,168:12 kobo”.
The governor said the recurrent expenditure accounted for N90,640,286,421:53 only, adding that the recurrent expenditure was broken down to personnel costs, N46,923,537,990:52 only, while overhead costs stood at 50,938,232,612:65.
“Capital estimates, 172,238,584,960:27 with the total expenditure standing at 270,100,355,563:35 kobo”, he added.
The governor sought the cooperation of the house in doing a good and thorough job on the budget and ensuring speedy passage to enable its implementation by January 2024.
Aliyu explained that the budget this year is a reflection of the views of the masses across the state with the point based on his administration’s nine-point agenda.
Further breakdown of the budget also confirmed that education got the highest votes with the allocation of 42,868,402,566:5 kobo. This is followed by the health sector with 31,014,441, 399:19.
The agriculture sector is to get 10,252,388,581:62, which includes the procurement of assorted grains for the people of the state as well as procurement of fertilizer and farm input, with the Ministry of Works and Transportation getting the sum of 18,807,208,595:17.
The government also allocated the sum of 9,907,759,878:33 for the Ministry of Religious Affairs, while water resources got 9,243,892,234:54.
Aliyu said his administration has also made adequate provisions in the budget for humanitarian services, poverty reduction, and youth empowerment programmes, among others.
In his remarks, the speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Honourable Tukur Bala, assured the governor that the assembly will get to work on the budget in order to encourage the governor to achieve his nine-point agenda.
