Governor Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai of Kaduna State has signed the 2018 Budget of N216.55bn into law.
In the budget tagged budget of consolidation, governor El-Rufai said N131.1bn is for Capital Expenditure made up of 60.54% of the budget, while N85.44bn is for Recurrent Expenditure reflecting the government’s commitment to discharging obligations to current personnel in the public service.
Governor El-Rufai said, “We have deliberately tagged the 2018 Budget as the Budget of Consolidation. It is the last full annual budget before the 2019 elections, and it is designed to complete the many projects we have commenced in the service of our people.
“As I stated during the budget presentation, we have published a record number of tenders as we try to achieve the goals outlined in our manifesto. These tenders have led to the commencement of many projects across the state.
“As at mid-2017, there were 443km of township roads and 16 intercity roads with a distance of 414.8km at various stages of completion. In addition, 17 rural feeder roads with distance of 172 km are being constructed.
“There are many schools being rebuilt, hospitals being upgraded and equipped, water works being refitted, rehabilitation centres being fixed. We are very proud to have initiated these projects in the interest of our people. And we have been clearheaded enough to take on inherited projects that we consider feasible and viable! Some of these have been completed, but others are at various stages of completion.”
He explained that in 2018, the government would spend N51.4bn on the Social Sector, comprising Education, Health and Social Development.
“This is the largest chunk of the budget, and the emphasis we place here should not surprise anyone. The Restoration Programme, the document on which we campaigned, is premised on expanding our people’s access to Education and Health, and improving outcomes for them.
“These are the primary sectors for building human capital. And we have no doubt that this is what responsible leadership commands. In fact, it is the substantive essence of democracy to practice public policy in a way that empowers the people, including the poor, by providing a sustainable ladder for social mobility,” he emphasized.
The governor noted that the social sector spending reflects government’s commitment to equality of opportunity, adding that the determination to give the poor and their children a realistic chance to improve their life chances.
“In devoting more than N33bn to Education, we are signalling that we will not be deterred from our quest to provide decent education, within safe and standard school environments using qualified teachers,” he stressed.
He stated that the commitment to equality of opportunity was also driving investments in the health sector.
“We shall continue to equip our health facilities, improve the availability of medicines and prioritise routine immunisation.
“All these will be supported by spending on infrastructure. The Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport has a capital budget of N28.3bn, while the Ministry of Water Resources has N11bn,” he stated.
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