Akwa Ibom Assembly Passes N695bn Supplementary Budget, Raising 2025 Fiscal Plan to N1.65trn

The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly on Tuesday passed a ?695 billion supplementary appropriation bill for the 2025 fiscal year, following the adoption of a report presented by the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation.

Presenting the report during plenary presided over by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Udeme Otong, the Committee Chairman, Hon. Itorobong Etim, explained that the supplementary budget would be funded through various sources — including statutory allocation, internally generated revenue, derivation funds, 13% derivation arrears, signature bonuses, exchange gains, and value-added tax (VAT), among others.

The report outlined that the N695 billion supplementary budget comprises N125.66 billion for recurrent expenditure and N569.33 billion for capital expenditure, bringing the revised total budget size for 2025 to N1.65 trillion.

The revised figure now includes N425.66 billion for recurrent services and N1.22 trillion for capital projects, up from the original N955 billion budget passed by the Assembly in December 2024.

Governor Eno Signs Supplementary Budget, Releases N60bn for Projects

According to a statement from the Government House Press Unit, Governor Umo Eno signed the bill into law during the October edition of the State’s Project Delivery Meeting held at the Government House, Uyo.

In his remarks, Governor Eno commended the Speaker and lawmakers for the swift passage of the bill and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and people-centred governance.

To fast-track project delivery, the governor announced the release of N60 billion to contractors with ready Interim Payment Certificates (IPCs) and directed ministries, departments, agencies, and delivery advisors to ensure strict compliance with project timelines and quality standards.

Project Delivery Review and Oversight

The October Project Delivery Meeting featured 12 presentations covering key ongoing projects and initiatives, including:

• Tree Crop Revolution
• State Electricity Market
• Tourism Destination Marketing and Arise Resort Projects
• Ibom Hotels and Golf Resort Renovation
• Christmas Unplugged Festival
• Oron Maritime and Jetty Project
• CNG City Bus Project
• Ikot Ekpene International Market
• RAMP Project
• Ibom International Hospital and General Hospitals Upgrades
• Mother and Child Hospital
• Aviation Village and Itam Industrial Park

Speaker Udeme Otong praised the governor for his inclusive and innovative governance style, describing the delivery review as a strong demonstration of executive transparency and legislative oversight.

“We have never witnessed this kind of delivery review in our state. It gives us a clear understanding of what is happening across sectors. For me, this is a strong oversight function,” the Speaker said, commending the ongoing renovation of the Assembly Complex.

He also pledged continued legislative collaboration with the Executive arm of government to advance the state’s development agenda.