On December 11, 2024, Benue State Governor Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia presented the 2025 budget, titled “Budget of Human Capital Development, Food Security, and Digital Economy,” to the State House of Assembly in Makurdi.
During his address, Governor Alia outlined the budget’s total expenditure of N550,112,988,930.45, aiming to promote progress, prosperity, and well-being for all citizens. He described the budget as a roadmap towards a sustainable future, reflecting both current realities and the aspirations of the populace.
Infrastructure development emerged as the top priority, earmarked for N110,022,597,786.09, or 20% of the total budget. Agriculture follows with a proposed allocation of N84,081,754,982.67, representing 15.28%. Both the education and health sectors received N82,516,948,339.57 each, accounting for 15% of the budget.
Governor Alia emphasized the commitment to social protection programs, allocating 0.93% of the budget for initiatives like unemployment benefits, housing support, and poverty alleviation. This budget also includes provisions for sports, youth development, and skills training, with a focus on empowering small businesses and startups, particularly in technology.
Addressing development challenges, Governor Alia reported that the implementation of the minimum wage for the 70,000 workforce has stabilized, alongside ongoing massive infrastructure rehabilitation and improved state security.
The governor highlighted that through the Bureau of International Cooperation and Development, the state benefited from N85,017,621,111.11 in grants and secured 46 scholarships through the United Nations Volunteer Full Funded Scholarship Program for Benue residents.
He noted that adjustments in the 2024 budget resulted in a total of N373,020,567,319, marking a 65.3% increase due to built-in buffers for macroeconomic resilience.
To ensure fiscal transparency and stability, Governor Alia declared that the 2025 budget will be managed by the Budget and Economic Planning Commission under his supervision.
