Governor Nasir El Rufai has signed the 2023 appropriation bill of over N376.4 billion into law.

Commissioner of Budget and Planning, Umma Aboki, disclosed this to journalists in Kaduna on Thursday.

She explained that the budget prioritised the health and education sectors with an allocation of 43.70 per cent, explaining that 15.70 per cent was for Health and 28 per cent for education.

“This is consistent with the state government’s commitment to allocate a minimum of 15 per cent and 25 per cent of its total annual budget, respectively, to health and education,” stated Ms Aboki. 

The commissioner added that the allocation of about three per cent of the budget to social welfare and pro-poor interventions had been spread across various implementing ministries, departments and agencies.

Aboki said that N240.9 billion of the budget, representing 64.01 per cent of the budget, was for capital expenditure while N135.5 billion, representing 35.99 per cent, was for recurrent expenditure.

“The 2023 budget, which is referred to as the ‘budget of continuous growth and development’, epitomises continuity of development while strategising on minimising economic shocks occasioned by the unintended effects of policy reforms,” Ms Aboki. 

The commissioner added, “Budget is focused on cushioning the negative effects by prioritizing human capital and social development, and the completion of ongoing projects with a view to consolidating the achievements of the past seven years that will enable the smooth transition of government.”

Ms Aboki added that the state expects N89.2 billion as internally generated revenue and N59.9 billion as statutory allocation, including exchange gains, excess bank charges, equalisation funds and ecological funds of N3.4 billion.

The commissioner also said that the state government is expecting N30.7 billion from value-added tax (VAT), N62.7 billion, N61.6 billion, and N20.9 billion as internal grants, external loans and external grants, respectively. 

(NAN)