A look at Nasarawa’s budget of recovery

On Wednesday December 14, the Nasarawa State Governor, Alhaji Umaru Tanko Almakura fulfill all righteousness by presenting the 2017 budget appropriation to the state House of Assembly. The presentation of the proposed spendings based on anticipated revenue inflow is an annual ritual each state government must perform in compliance with section 121 (1) of the […]

On Wednesday December 14, the Nasarawa State Governor, Alhaji Umaru Tanko Almakura fulfill all righteousness by presenting the 2017 budget appropriation to the state House of Assembly. The presentation of the proposed spendings based on anticipated revenue inflow is an annual ritual each state government must perform in compliance with section 121 (1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended). 

It is also envisaged that the state governments perform this all important function, which their policy directions and its expenditure preference revolve earlier to hasten all process leading to its passage. At the hallowed chambers of the Assembly that fateful day, Almakura appraise the performance of his administration in line with the policy thrust, which focused on infrastructure development, provision of social amenities and other social services.

To his credit, the governor has made significant progress even if slowly within the last five years despite lacking fiscal edge inform of special allocation and low Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). Despite these constraints, the state stands out among its peers in the North central interms of provision of infrastructure, human development and good capital base.

A look at the total expenditure outlay is in the sum of N 67,013,057,753 only. According to the governor, the 2017 Appropriation anticipates a total of N53,991,991,085 only, while the deficit is expected to be financed by the Federal Government Budget Support Facility, as well as opening balance for 2017. The sum of N37,012,251,819, representing 55.23 percent of the budget is earmarked for Recurrent Expenditure, while N30,000,805,934, representing 44.77 percent is earmarked as Capital Expenditure for 2017 fiscal year. 

The budget framework shows a decrease of N 13,902,797,780 or 17.18 percent as against the 2016 appropriation. This is but a modest submission in view of the unpredictability of the revenue inflow as witnessed by the global fall in oil prices. It takes a chief executive with foresight to gauge this trend and properly situate his assumption on reality on ground. 

Today, pupils no longer study under trees, or on floors. The administration has also built classrooms in post-primary schools across the state, while premier boarding schools in each of the three senatorial districts were rehabilitated even as new hostels have sprung up in all tertiary institutions in the state.  In furtherance of the administration’s commitment to all-inclusive governance, it has also committed enormous resources for the welfare of the physically challenged, women and children, as well as other vulnerable groups in our society. In this wise administration has fully constructed a comprehensive special school in Lafia to cater for children of all categories of disabilities from kindergarten to senior secondary school levels.  

It is also heartening to hear that the state government intends to sustain the existing school feeding programme in order to encourage massive school enrolment, retention and completion in consonance with its quest to providing education for all school-going children in Nasarawa State with emphasis on girl-child education and encouragement of children with disabilities. The emphasis on the massive girl-child enrolment and retention as well transition would go long way in bridging the winding gap between male and female in the state. 

The e-Libraries innovation at a time when everything has gone digital would also greatly ease teaching and learning in the schools. The e-libraries projects in  Keffi, Lafia, Nasarawa and Akwanga Local Government Areas, respectively were commissioned in the first quarter of 2016. 

It is also heartwarming that the state government is sustaining its commitment to transforming the health sector with the proposal of N7.27 billion in this regard. The initiative to meet the health needs of the people by this government began during its first tenure when  multi-million naira hospital projects sprang up across the three senatorial districts of the state.150 hospital beds in Lafia, the state capital, Akwanga, and Nassarawa town were contemplated at that initial stage. The government said it intends to complete these specialist hospitals in from the provision in the appropriation in addition to the full refurbishment of School of Health Keffi and the full completion of School of Nursing Lafia. 

Also its many youths empowerment programmes have gone a long way in mitigating restiveness, while the rural transformation initiatives have further brought the government closer to the people of the grassroots. The investment in the agric sector is also paying off with government realizing early that aside from providing food security, it remains the largest employer of labour in the state and a catalyst for economic and industrial development. 

Given the proximity of the state to the federal capital, and the need to support federal government, at the same time creating an avenue for diversification of revenue generation, government has declared Gurku-Kabusu land as a planned area in order to provide alternative homes to Nigerians wishing to reside within that corridor. This is in line with its resolve since 2011 to make the Greater Karu corridor the ‘Maryland’ of Abuja. This will be complimented by the commissioning of Karu International Market early next year which will be the largest market in the whole of Northern Nigeria. 

The state government, despite the uncertainty in 2016, was able to modestly manage its finances. Concerted efforts were made to continue with programmes and projects that meet the peoples’ aspirations. Some of these projects have been completed and commissioned despite rising recurrent expenditure. It was also able to effectively manage its debt profile within the period, keeping it at a relatively moderate level.  

Despite on-going economic challenges, it is gratifying that the state government promises to continue to evolve programmes and projects that will turn the economic fortune of the citizenry, as well as stimulate the economy out of recession. This, it said, it would do through encouraging and supporting youth in agricultural production as a way of empowerment, boosting production, developing value chain and strengthening commercial venture for a stable economy; creating conducive environment for participation of informal sector in income generation and sustainable productivity. The initiative to strengthen internal control mechanism in public financial management in line with the fiscal expenditure framework would also greatly check excess.

Inuwa wrote in from Keffi, Nasarawa State.