Jigawa Gov presents N298bn 2024 Budget to Assembly
The Jigawa State governor Mallam Umar Namadi presented the 2024 Appropriation Bill totalling N298.14 billion to the State House of Assembly on Tuesday, November 14.
The bill, tagged ‘Budget for a Greater Jigawa’, shows an almost 23% increase from the total appropriation for the 2023 fiscal year.
A breakdown of the budget shows that nearly N111.98 billion, which is about 37%, is earmarked for recurrent expenditure. At the same time, approximately N175.44 billion, equivalent to nearly 59%, is allocated to capital investments, as stated by the governor.
Also, an allocation of N131.8 billion representing over two-fifths of the total budget is dedicated to two critical human development sectors, namely health and education. This underscores the government’s decision to place emphasis and priority on human capital development. The combined recurrent and capital allocation to the education sector is more than N95.5 billion, accounting for roughly 32% of the total proposed budget.
The governor pointed out that this allocation far exceeds the upper limit of the 15 to 20 per cent benchmark advocated by UNESCO Education For All Initiatives. On the other hand, estimates for the health sector include the total combined recurrent and capital expenditure, which is N36.2 billion, representing about 12.2 per cent of the total budget, slightly below the 15 per cent benchmark promoted by the African Union, Abuja Health Declaration.
According to Governor Namadi, “The purpose of the budget for a greater Jigawa is to be able to accommodate increases in personnel cost that may occasion the anticipated review of the national minimum wage.”
Furthermore, the governor stated that: “In line with the principles of fiscal responsibility, the sum of N10.72 billion has been earmarked for Stabilization and Contingency Funds which is equivalent to about 4% of the real recurrent revenue estimates”.
He said the sum of N175.42 billion represents 59 per cent of the total estimate earmarked for the capital expenditure.
The governor announced the establishment of five new agencies which include the State ICT & Digital Economy Agency, the State Hisba Board, the State Tsangaya Board, the State Resident Identity Management Agency, and the State Anti-corruption Agency.
“Personnel Cost in respect of all ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) includes PHC personnel for which the State government has taken up 40% Responsibility and Salaries of primary school teachers as well as social security payments including Pensions and Gratuities and State contributions to the contributory pension scheme N64.583 billion.”
Namadi told the lawmakers that recurrent expenditure in the 2024 proposed budget represents an increase of about 36% over the 2023 estimates which is equivalent to almost N32.4 billion.
He therefore solicited the support of the legislature and speedy passage of the budget for the rapid development of the state.
On his part, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Haruna Dangyatin commended the governor for his foresight and plans for the state.
He promised that the House of Assembly would do everything within its constitutional power to scrutinise the proposed appropriation bill to ensure justice and equity for all parties and people of the state.