President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has formally requested the National Assembly to approve a N1.481 trillion budget for Rivers State for the 2025 fiscal year, following the nullification of the state’s original budget by the Supreme Court.
The request was read on Thursday by Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, during plenary.
According to President Tinubu, the intervention became necessary due to the emergency rule declared in Rivers State, which has rendered the Rivers State House of Assembly inactive. In line with the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the National Assembly is required to assume legislative responsibilities in such circumstances.
Breakdown of the proposed N1.481 trillion budget includes:
- N324 billion for infrastructure development
- N166 billion for healthcare services
- N75.6 billion for education
- N31.4 billion for agriculture
The President noted that the agriculture sector is projected to create 6,000 jobs under the proposed spending plan.
He urged federal lawmakers to urgently approve the budget to ensure continued governance and development in Rivers State under the current constitutional arrangement.
