Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, on Tuesday presented the state’s proposed budget of N605 billion for the 2025 fiscal year to the Edo State House of Assembly. The budget, dubbed the “Budget of Renewed Hope for a Rising Edo,” represents a 25% increase over the 2024 budget, highlighting the administration’s commitment to development and growth.
In his presentation, Governor Okpebholo outlined the allocation of the budget, stating that N223 billion would be dedicated to recurrent expenditure, while N381 billion (63%) would be directed towards capital projects. He emphasized that the budget was crafted through wide consultations to ensure transparency and responsiveness in governance. The governor reaffirmed that the budget aligns with his administration’s five-point agenda, which includes security, infrastructure development, healthcare, food sufficiency, and education.
A significant portion of the budget, N162 billion, has been allocated for infrastructure development, particularly road projects across the state. Governor Okpebholo stressed the need for better connectivity between communities, citing the current challenges in travel across the state. He highlighted the construction of the Ramat Park flyover in Benin City as a key project aimed at transforming the city into a modern metropolis, with the flyover being the first of its kind in the state.
On education, Okpebholo acknowledged the poor state of tertiary institutions in Edo over the past eight years. He announced plans to allocate N48 billion to education, with a specific focus on providing N500 million in monthly subventions to Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, to revive and strengthen the institution. The governor also earmarked N63.9 billion for the healthcare sector, with a focus on making health services more accessible and affordable. This includes a N1.8 billion allocation for health insurance to ensure broader coverage for residents.
The governor also highlighted the importance of agriculture to the state’s economy, announcing a N4.5 billion allocation for the agricultural sector in 2025. He reiterated his administration’s commitment to fostering security and peace within communities, noting the purchase of 20 patrol vehicles to support security operations. The governor concluded by thanking the House of Assembly for their support and expressing gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for his contributions to the state’s development.
The Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Blessing Agbebaku, praised Governor Okpebholo’s visionary leadership and assured the state government of the Assembly’s cooperation in ensuring the successful implementation of the budget. He called on all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to submit necessary documents promptly for the timely passage of the budget.
