The Senate on Wednesday approved the 2025 Rivers State budget, authorizing an expenditure of N1.48 trillion under the state’s emergency administration. The budget was passed during plenary after lawmakers deliberated on its general principles at the Committee of Supply.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio confirmed the budget’s passage following overwhelming support from senators through a voice vote. The decision came after legislators reviewed a report by Opeyemi Bamidele, Chairman of the Senate Ad Hoc Committee overseeing emergency rule in Rivers State.
In his report, Bamidele, who also serves as Senate Leader, proposed allocations of N120 billion for debt servicing, N287 billion for recurrent non-debt expenditure, and N1 trillion for capital projects.
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The budget, initially proposed by President Bola Tinubu, aims to tackle developmental challenges in Rivers State, focusing on infrastructure, education, healthcare, agriculture, and security. Tinubu had submitted the N1.48 trillion Rivers State Appropriation Bill to the National Assembly in May, seeking urgent intervention to restore governance and accelerate development in the state.
The Senate expedited the bill’s passage, moving it to a second reading within a week before referring it to the ad hoc committee for further scrutiny and budget defence. During the defence session, the state administrator, Ibok-Ete Ibas, revealed that the budget had been adjusted to N1.846 trillion, reflecting an increase of about N365 billion.
Ibas, a retired chief of naval staff, explained that the additional funds were allocated to cover unplanned but essential expenditures incurred in early 2025 before the emergency rule was declared. He stated that the funds were used to “stabilise critical sectors, maintain public services, and initiate emergency infrastructure repairs. No lawmakers raised objections to the revised budget figure during the defence session.
