President Bola Tinubu has forwarded the Rivers State’s 2025 Budget, amounting to N1.48 trillion, to the National Assembly for consideration and passage.
The budget proposal was announced in a letter written by Tinubu and read out by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas during plenary on Thursday.
In the letter read out by Abbas, the President said the Rivers State’s 2025 budget proposal became necessary because of the nullification of the 2025 budget of the state by the Supreme Court and the fact that the state is currently under emergency rule.
Also, the President said that the Rivers State’s 2025 budget proposal includes ₦324billion earmarked for infrastructure, ₦166bn for health, ₦75.6bn for education and ₦31.4bn for agriculture.
He added that by the provisions of the budget; agriculture is expected to generate about 6,000 jobs and appealed to the parliament to urgently pass the budget for the good of the state and its people.
Tinubu also emphasized that the budget is essential to restore economic activities and maintain stability in the oil-rich state, which has faced challenges due to pipeline vandalism and governance disputes.
He also urged lawmakers to expedite the budget’s approval to facilitate effective governance under the appointed administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.).
This comes after Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State on March 18, 2025, over what he described as a “prolonged political instability.”
Tinubu also suspended Siminalayi Fubara, governor of the state; his deputy, Ngozi Odu; and all members of the Rivers assembly “for an initial period of six months”.
Ibas, an ex-naval chief, was then named as the sole administrator for Rivers.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass also reports that this action follows the Supreme Court’s nullification of the state’s previous budget and the ongoing state of emergency in Rivers State.
