On Friday, Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, officially enacted the 2024 Appropriation Bill, giving it the force of law.

Additionally, the Governor assented to the Local Government Amendment Bill, expressing his anticipation for the upcoming local government elections.

AbdulRazaq extended his gratitude to the state House of Assembly for their legislative efforts in passing the local government elections bill, which now clears the path for the elections to take place.

The Governor emphasized that the budget allocated 61% of funds to capital expenditure, reflecting the administration’s commitment to enhancing infrastructural development throughout the state.

Speaking in Ilorin, AbdulRazaq stated, “Today, we are taking another bold step in the history of our state. We commend the Assembly for their excellent work on the budget and for ensuring its compliance with SABER (State Action on Business Enabling Reforms).”

He further added, “This budget allocates 61% for capital expenditure (CAPEX) and 39% for recurrent. The 61% allocation for CAPEX demonstrates that Kwara aims to move away from being solely a civil service state and strives to develop a strong industrial base. We want to change the way things are done and prioritize infrastructure development in the state. Moving the state forward is our top priority.”

AbdulRazaq highlighted the successful debt reduction through negotiations with the federal government, which will soon be reflected in the Debt Management Office (DMO) chart.

In his speech, Speaker of the state Assembly, Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, commended Governor AbdulRazaq for being one of the first state governors to adhere to the SABER template for the budget process and for diligently reducing the state’s debt profile.

He stated, “By the grace of God, the Kwara State House of Assembly has engaged all the Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) for budget defense and scrutiny, meeting the SABER standard—a new template adopted after the conclusion of SFTAS in the first quarter of 2023.”

Danladi-Salihu further expressed confidence that the budget, which encompasses all sectors, will greatly benefit the people of Kwara state.