Ogun’s N1.05tr budget aimed at driving development – Commissioner

Ogun State Government has said that the 2025 budget of N1.05trn is aimed at executing projects that would set the state on the path of development and prosperity.

The Chief Economic Adviser and Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Dapo Okubadejo, stated this during the highlights and breakdown of the 2025 budget, tagged “Budget of Hope And Prosperity,” held at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

He said the increase in the 2025 budget was to continue the implementation of qualitative and affordable education, healthcare delivery, housing, provision of critical road infrastructure, youth empowerment, and other essential services for the good of the people.

He said the state’s budgets have increased from N335b in 2020 to N1.1tr in 2024 as a result of the reforms put in place and the blockage of leakages and loopholes.

He said, “We have significantly increased our Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) through lots of reforms in lands, payments, industry, trade, and investment, where you can do business online. We have also done a lot of internal reforms to drive efficiency as well as digitised the entire internal revenue service.”

Okubadejo stated that Ogun is expected to generate N194bn from Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, N121b from the Internal Revenue Service, and N228m from federal allocation, up from N199b in 2024.

Also speaking, Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Mr Olaolu Olabimtan, said the N1.05tr budget is broken down into N600bn for Capital and N400b for Recurrent Expenditures, which is a 50 per cent increase over the 2024 budget, which stood at N703b.

“For us, what is significant, which is why we keep coming first whenever we are ranked in the IGR and its sustainability, is that the percentage of our funding from the federation account keeps going down, and that is a deliberate attempt on the part of this government to ensure sustainability.

“We will spend more on capital expenditure than we spend on recurrent. Personnel cost is expected to be N125bn, which is 12 per cent, Overhead Cost of N216bn or 20 per cent of the budget, and Consolidated Charge of four per cent, giving us a total Recurrent Expenditure of N455bn, which is 43 per cent,” Olabimtan said.

Speaking on the education sector, the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, said N178bn or 17 per cent of the budget was allocated to the education sector and this would be used for the building of 12 mega smart schools, each containing 900 classrooms.

Other projects to be carried out by the Ministry included the fencing of schools to provide security for learners and their teachers, providing basic amenities like boreholes, and renovation of dilapidated classrooms, among others.

In the agricultural sector, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Hon. Bolu Owotomo, said the state is ready to revive all the farm settlements, increase productivity through effective agricultural value chains, bring more youth and women into agriculture, and promote dry season farming through the distribution of 1,000 water pumps to farmers.

Commissioner for Housing, Jagunmolu Akande Omoniyi, said emphasis would be placed on the construction of legacy housing projects across the state as N7.5b is budgeted for housing projects, another N4.5b for the ministry, and N4.9b for the Housing Corporation.

He said houses built at the Kobape Housing Estate have been allocated to those who fully paid the required amount, while 32 of those who did not get allocation would get their refund.

On her part, Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker, said a total of 80 Primary Health Care Centres have been renovated this year, while plans are underway to procure MRI machines to meet the needs of patients in the state’s health institutions.

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Commissioner for Transportation, Engr. Gbenga Dairo, hinted that the government plans to extend the Lagos Red, Blue, and Purple rail lines into the state, stressing that the development of new rail stations would not only facilitate easier movement for commuters but also enhance the transportation of goods in and out of the state

The commissioner also revealed that the ministry is focusing on water transport intending to improve connectivity across the state and encourage cargo transportation.

Engr. Dairo also affirmed that the Gateway International Airport, which is designed for both cargo and passenger services, has received full certification for operational takeoff, noting that this development positions Ogun State as a strategic hub for air transportation in the region.

Member, Patriot Group Committee on Drawing up a New Constitution for Nigeria, Mogaji Gboyega Adejumo, has revealed that only a restructured Nigeria and a system based on regionalism with a Parliamentary style of government will save the nation from the present economic challenges bedeviling it.