Borno Governor Zulum Assents to N615 Billion 2025 Budget, Applauds Legislature

Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum has formally assented to the 2025 Appropriation Bill, now revised to N615,857,950 billion after an adjustment of N31.1 billion. This new budget follows an initial proposal of N584.76 billion, which the governor had presented to the Borno State House of Assembly on December 9, 2024. The budget, tagged the “Budget of Recovery and Continuity,” is aimed at consolidating the state’s developmental efforts.

The revised appropriation bill was formally presented to the governor by the Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Hon. Abdulkarim Lawan, during a ceremony held at the Government House in Maiduguri on Monday. Governor Zulum addressed the gathering, which included principal officers of the House and executive members, urging heads of ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) to comply strictly with the provisions of the new budget when submitting their memos for approval.

Governor Zulum also commended the Borno State House of Assembly for approving the budget promptly, emphasizing the critical role the legislature plays in the state’s development. “We must commend the leadership of the House for their maturity and full cooperation, led by Speaker Abdulkarim Lawan,” he said, adding, “The support we have received from the legislature has been instrumental in achieving the progress we’ve made.”

Zulum highlighted that this year was crucial to him, as he aims to fulfill all the promises made during the 2023 election campaign. Earlier, Speaker Lawan praised the governor for his successful projects over the past six years, noting that the upward revision of the budget was necessary to address key areas impacting the lives of the people.

In a related development, Governor Zulum chaired his first Executive Council Meeting, where he acknowledged the efforts of the Deputy Governor, Umar Kadafur, State Secretary Dr. Bukar Tijjani, MDAs heads, and the media for their contributions to the administration’s work. The governor also announced the appointment of Dr. Mustapha Mallumbe, the Commissioner of Budget and Economic Planning, as his new Deputy Chief of Staff. This appointment follows the vacancy created by the illness of the former Chief of Staff, Professor Hussaini Marte, who is currently recovering.