as speaker commends governor for rural development initiatives
Elizabeth Vincent, Yenagoa
Bayalsa state governor Douye Diri has presented a budget of N689,440,348,916.30, titled the “Budget of Assured Prosperity,” for the 2025 fiscal year on Thursday.
Presenting the budget during a plenary session of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Diri emphasized that implementing the 2025 budget would require efficiency and synergy across government ministries, departments, and agencies.
In the expenditure breakdown, Governor Diri allocated N178,761,880,407.32 to Works and Infrastructure, N47,111,696,198.40 to Education, and N37,850,000,000.00 to Sports. Other allocations included N13,680,000,000.00 for Urban and Housing Development, N14,450,000,000.00 for Energy and Power, N16,650,000,000.00 for Agriculture, N19,000,000,000.00 for Security, N19,194,188,466.00 for Health, and N10,200,000,000.00 for Community Development.
The governor noted that the success of the 2025 budget would largely depend on coordinated fiscal and recurrent policies. He expressed the government’s commitment to robust development aligned with the Assured Prosperity agenda.
“We have crafted this 2025 budget to mobilize funds for human and capital development initiatives covering the seven core areas of the Assured Agenda,” he said. “These areas include agricultural and rural revolution, the blue economy, sports and youth development, security and peace, urban and rural development, healthcare, energy generation, economic growth, tourism, and an education system focused on innovation and technology, all while keeping recurrent expenditure within sustainable limits.”
Reflecting on the achievements under the 2024 budget of N489,433,632,374.32, alongside a supplementary budget of N270,800,000,000.00, Diri highlighted projects such as the continuation of the three senatorial roads, internal road construction in Yenagoa, the establishment of technical colleges in all local government areas, grants to tertiary institutions, civil service wage awards, and youth training in agriculture for food security.
House Speaker Hon. Abraham Ingobara commended the governor for the new road projects connecting Yenagoa, Eniwari, and Opuama Kingdom, and praised his dedication to rural community development and constituency projects, reflecting his commitment to rural welfare.
The speaker further lauded the governor’s accomplishments in the education sector, which support the prosperity agenda and help prepare the younger generation for a globalized world.