Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has presented a budget proposal of N490.74 billion for the 2027 fiscal year to the State House of Assembly.
Christened the “Budget of Sustained Progress and Prosperity,” the proposal is aimed at consolidating the achievements of the Oyebanji administration and laying a solid foundation for the next four years.
Presenting the budget in Ado-Ekiti on Thursday, the governor said it was prepared in line with Section 124, Subsection 4 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, and aligned with the state’s 30-year development plan covering 2021 to 2051.
Oyebanji explained that the proposed budget comprises N275.68 billion for recurrent expenditure and N215.06 billion for capital expenditure.
He said the budget would focus on six key pillars of his administration: education and healthcare; good governance and transparency; arts, culture and tourism; youth and job creation; infrastructure and industrialisation; and agriculture and rural development.
According to the governor, the proposal is also designed to consolidate the gains of the administration’s Shared Prosperity Agenda and provide a framework for sustained development across the state.
Earlier, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Adeoye Aribasoye, commended the governor for presenting the proposal, noting that it reflected the aspirations and needs of the people as expressed during town hall engagements across the state’s three senatorial districts.
Aribasoye assured the governor that the Assembly would subject the proposal to a thorough legislative review, with emphasis on constitutional compliance, fiscal responsibility and the feasibility of projected revenue sources.
He said the lawmakers would also ensure that public hearings captured contributions from constituents and civil society groups, while projects were equitably distributed across the three senatorial districts, 16 local government areas and 22 local council development areas.
The Speaker added that the Assembly would carefully examine the balance between recurrent and capital expenditure to ensure that critical public needs were addressed.
He maintained that the legislature would cooperate with the executive where necessary while exercising its oversight responsibilities to promote accountability and transparency.
Dignitaries at the budget presentation included the wife of the governor, Dr Olayemi Oyebanji; Deputy Governor, Chief Monisade Afuye; members of the State Executive Council; traditional rulers; government officials and other stakeholders.
