Kwara State Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq on Wednesday presented N189, 436, 248,054,00. 2023 budget estimates to the state House of Assembly, restating the administration’s commitment to inclusive growth and sustainable development.
The 2023 budget, with a recurrent expenditure of 49.1% and capital component of 50.9%, Abdulrazaq said. Is
a budget of economic expansion and sustainable development that focuses on strengthening the current gains and built around the State Sustainable Development Plans 2021-2030, Medium Term Sector Strategy 2021-2023 and citizens’ need Assessments.
The Governor explained the 2023 Appropriation Bill. is significant in its provisions aimed at expanding the gains of the past three years for maximum socioeconomic benefits of the state.
“With the support of this House and the good people of Kwara State, our government has delivered on key campaign promises in education, healthcare delivery, provision of potable water, agriculture, poverty reduction, gender mainstreaming, youth and women empowerment, financial inclusion, workers’ welfare, infrastructure, and rural urban development.
“I’m glad to report that our investment in the premier hospital has earned the state university accreditation to begin Medicine and Surgery for the first time and the administration has greatly improve the economy and develop it than how it was in 2019.
“The commencement of the KwaraLEARN initiative has raised school attendance by 43% in four pilot local government areas of Baruten, Ilorin East, Ilorin West, and Offa. We have delivered a new waterworks at Dumagi, new and well-equipped Dental, Eye, Renal, ICU facilities, and an expansive new ward.
“For the first time, we are 90% set to deliver a game-changing Electronic Management System (EMS) for our hospitals in Ilorin, Kaiama, and Offa. We have also completed the first radio station in Kwara North and 39 Digital Literacy Centres across the state.”
The Governor said the budget places more emphases on continuous infrastructural development, completion of ongoing road projects, agribusinesses, irrigation and mechanisation, workers’ welfare, rural electrification, and improved water reticulation, the RAAMP road projects will begin full steam in the new year.
“Its key assumptions are oil price of 70 US Dollars per barrel; daily oil production estimate of 1.69m barrel per day; exchange rate of N435 to one United States Dollar; GDP growth of 3.75%; and inflation rate of 17.16%. While the implementation of the National Programmes on Food Security NPFS and Adolescent Girls initiatives for Learning and Empowerment will be undertaken in 2023,” he said.
Earlier, the Speaker, Salihu Danladi commended the Governor for steadily bridging the huge infrastructural gap in the state and for his focus on workers’ welfare, provision of basic amenities, and prudent management of public resources.
He assured the Governor of the readiness of the House to ensure timely passage of the budget after careful scrutiny as constitutionally required for the benefit of the people of the state.
“It is a thing of joy to note that the efforts of this present government at ensuring transparency, accountability and fiscal discipline in government business are enjoying applause from within and outside the state,” he added.
