Senate Passes 2025 Rivers Emergency Budget Of N1.48 Trillion For Second Reading
The Nigerian Senate has passed the 2025 budget proposal of N1.48 trillion for Rivers State to second reading, marking a key step in the ongoing emergency administration of the state.
The budget, transmitted to the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu on 22 May, was read during plenary by Senate President Godswill Akpabio. It is designed to authorise critical spending in the areas of infrastructure, education, agriculture, and healthcare for the 2025 fiscal year.
During Wednesday’s plenary, the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central), led the debate on the general principles of the budget bill, urging senators to support its passage in light of the emergency situation in the state.
According to the breakdown, the proposed budget allocates N287 billion for recurrent expenditure, N1.072 trillion for capital expenditure, and N120.8 billion for debt servicing.
Further details reveal that:
In his communication to the National Assembly, President Tinubu stated that the budget is expected to stimulate economic growth and generate an estimated 6,000 jobs through strategic investments in these sectors.
The Senate President subsequently referred the bill to the ad-hoc committee on the Rivers State emergency administration, directing the committee to report back within two weeks.
The 18-member committee, chaired by Senator Bamidele, had on Tuesday pledged to ensure fairness and adherence to democratic norms in reviewing the emergency budget. The committee, inaugurated on 6 May, has also scheduled a session for the state’s sole administrator, Ibok-Ete Ibas, to appear and defend the budget before a joint ad-hoc committee of both the Senate and House of Representatives.
Recall that in March, President Tinubu suspended all elected officials in Rivers State, including Governor Siminalayi Fubara, and appointed Mr Ibas, a retired Chief of Naval Staff, as sole administrator for an initial six-month period. The appointment was subsequently ratified by both chambers of the National Assembly in line with Section 305(2) of the Nigerian Constitution.
The House of Representatives had earlier inaugurated its corresponding committee on 15 April, chaired by House Leader Julius Ihonvbere, to oversee the emergency administration in the state.
