President Bola Tinubu has submitted a ₦1.48 trillion 2025 budget proposal for Rivers State to the National Assembly for approval, following the Supreme Court’s nullification of the state’s earlier budget and the imposition of emergency rule.
In a letter addressed to the Senate and read during Thursday’s plenary, President Tinubu explained that the federal legislature must now assume the responsibilities of the Rivers State House of Assembly, which has been suspended since emergency rule was declared in March 2025.
Please find forwarded herewith the 2025 Appropriation Bill for Rivers State for the consideration of the Senate, Tinubu’s letter stated.
Citing Regulation 4, subsection 2(f) of the Emergency Rule 2025 framework, the president emphasized that any appropriation from the state’s Consolidated Revenue Fund requires National Assembly authorization.
The proposed budget prioritizes key development sectors:
- Infrastructure: ₦324 billion
- Health: ₦166 billion
- Education: ₦75.6 billion
- Agriculture: ₦31.4 billion
Tinubu noted that the agriculture sector is expected to create approximately 6,000 jobs. He appealed to the Senate for urgent approval of the budget to ensure the welfare and development of Rivers State and its people.
This spending plan prioritises investment in critical sectors… I trust that it will receive the expeditious and favourable consideration of the Senate, he added.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio referred the budget to the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee on Rivers State for prompt review and reporting.
The Senate had earlier approved emergency rule in Rivers State on March 20 and formed an oversight committee on May 6 to monitor governance and stability in the state.