Ekiti state government on Thursday disclosed that a whopping sum of N495 billion would be spent in the 2020 fiscal year to boost electricity supply across the sixteen local government areas of the state.
The Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Mr Femi Ajayi said the amount which is spread across five critical allocations sub-sector would, in turn, enhance the economic and industrial development of the state.
Ajayi who spoke in Ado-Ekiti while giving the 2020 budget analysis said the N124 billion budget estimate for the year would focus largely on how to make Ekiti an agricultural, industrial and knowledge base of the Nigerian economy through the completion of ongoing projects and commencement of other legacy projects.
The Commissioner said, though there was a reduction in the size of the budget, christened ‘budget of deliverables’, with an estimate of N124 billion as against N129 billion of 2019, insisting that would not reduce the performance of government in the year.
He said the reduction in the size was as a result of a drop in the revenues accruing to the state from the federation account.
To prevent the recurrence of flooding that ravaged a section in 2019, he noted that a sum of N15.7 billion had been earmarked to combat erosion problems in the year.
Ajayi said: ” The present administration is not unmindful of the importance of the uninterrupted supply of electricity to the growth and industrial development of any economy. In view of this, our government has allocated a sum of N495 billion to this critical area of electrification projects across the state which will cut across five sub-sectors.
” Flooding and erosion are twin evils bedevilling our environment and it has become imperative to make necessary provisions to confront these environmental phenomena. Government is aware of the consequences of uncontrolled environment. Many people have been rendered homeless while innocent lives had been lost to erosion and flooding.
“This government is resolute in promoting hygienic environment to ensure healthy living. To this end, a sum of N15.7 billion has been earmarked to curb erosion and ensure a healthy environment. This amount will be shared among forestry, town and country. planning, sewage and drainage emergency and waste management.”
Ajayi said a sum of N20.039 billion was budgeted for personnel cost, which he said will take care of the payment of leave bonus, new minimum wage being paid to grade levels 1 to 6 as well affect it across the board when negotiation is completed.
The Commissioner added that a whooping sum of N32,192, 464, 643.64 billion, is expected from the federation account, which he said was grossly inadequate to fund the budget.
“We are expecting a sum of N17.6 billion from internally generated revenues, which accounts for 14 per cent of the total budget estimate. With this, we are looking inwards to boost our IGR and other sources that can generate income apart from the federation account,” he said.
The Commissioner stated that a sum of N35.459 billion was budgeted for infrastructure and industrial development, which constitutes 66 per cent of the appropriation law.
Ajayi averred that the government would also expend a sum of N3.372 billion to develop commercial agriculture that would enhance youth empowerment in the fiscal year.
“Also, the governance, representing the administrative sector, will gulp a sum of N10.546 billion, which covers internal security, the legislature and judiciary.”
In the area of education, Ajayi stated further that not less than N250 million will be spent for the provision of Information and Communication Technology laboratories in 50 schools across the state.