Why we increased Okpebholo’s 2025 budget by N71bn – Edo Assembly

Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Blessing Agbebaku has said that the lawmakers increased the state’s 2025 budget from N605 billion to N676 billion to enable the government address food insecurity.

the state governor, Monday Okpebholo on December 10, 2024, presented a budget proposal of N605 billion to the House for consideration and approval.

The House however raised the budget to N676 billion, an increase of over N71 billion.

Speaking on the rationale for the increase, Agbebaku said the additional sum was to adequately combat food insecurity and create food sufficiency in Edo State as against the sum of N4.5 billion initially allocated to the sector by the governor.

“Your Excellency, we present to you the final approved budget that will scale you through this new year. The budget will ensure infrastructure in all the constituencies in Edo State.

“The country is currently experiencing an acute shortfall in food production, a situation that has seen an astronomical rise in the prices of food production, and increased hardship among Nigerians.

“The Legislative Arm is committed to partnering with the Governor in ensuring that Edo takes the lead in agricultural revolution and solving the current food challenges plaguing the country.

“We looked at the budget carefully, digested the content, and decided, going by the current food insecurity in the country, to fund the agricultural sector to create food sufficiency in Edo State.

“So, the House agreed that the fund going to that sector be increased, and it was given a significant increase to ensure we achieve food sufficiency in Edo State,” the Speaker said.

In his remarks, the governor said the allocation of N70billion to the agricultural sector by the lawmakers was in line with his administration’s commitment to addressing food insecurity and making Edo sufficient in food production.

Okpebholo opined that the budget was meant to revive the economy of Edo State and deliver the dividends of democracy, with a special focus on agricultural revolution, food production, and infrastructural development.

“As an administration that is people-centric and concerned about the acute food shortage currently ravaging the country, the 2025 budget was given a significant boost to address the agricultural and make Edo State food sufficient.

“This significant allocation to the agriculture sector to address food sufficiency and agricultural revolution underscores my administration’s commitment to food security and reaffirmed my earlier announced plans to engage in massive mechanized farming across the three senatorial districts of the State in early 2025.

“It is therefore expected that, with this significant amount allocated to the agricultural sector, and the proposed mechanized farming schedule to kick-start in early 2025, Edo State will not only achieve food sufficiency but also begin to export agricultural produce to neighboring States in Nigeria,” he added.