ZAMFARA GOVERNOR SIGNS N426 BILLION 2024 ‘BUDGET OF RESCUE’ INTO LAW

By; Imrana Abdullahi

On Saturday, Governor Dauda Lawal signed the 2024 Appropriation Bill of N426 billion for the Zamfara State budget.

The N426,563,671,000.00 billion approved ‘Budget of Rescue’ was passed by the Zamfara State House of Assembly last Friday.

A statement by the spokesperson of the Governor, Sulaiman Bala Idris, said the 2024 estimate has N118,358,079,515.00 (27%) allocated for recurrent expenditure and N308,205,591,485.00 (73%) for capital expenditure.

He added that the budget of rescue would enhance domestic and foreign investments, productivity, and ease of business in Zamfara state.

The statement read in parts: “The 2024 budget signed by Governor Lawal prioritizes six critical sectors for Zamfara State’s development: security, education, agriculture, health, infrastructure, and others.

“The budget has the following estimates: Administration – N72,093,326,763 (17%); Economic Sector – N244,729,584,729 (57%); Social Sector – N103,139,659,508 (24%); Law and Justice Sector – N6,601,100,000 (2%).

“Furthermore, the assented 2024 budget has estimated on sub-sectors: Agriculture – N38,144,000,000; Education – N51,370,787,508; Health – N33,922,370,000; and Infrastructure & Urban Development – N109 Billion.

The rescue budget has allocated sufficient funds for social intervention programs to mitigate the impact of the current economic difficulties and insecurity.

“These programs include micro-credit disbursement to Small and Medium Enterprises, the FADAMA Program for food security, and other initiatives to reduce poverty. We will also be strengthening our Skills Acquisition programs to provide job opportunities to our large population in the State.

“The approved budget is consistent with the strategic plan of Governor Lawal’s long-term vision. It emphasizes citizen-nominated projects, and some programs are also considered to have a direct bearing on the yearnings and aspirations of our people.

“The proposed budget is balanced as the projected revenue equals the estimated expenditure.”