The Nigerian Senate has approved the ₦1.485 trillion 2025 budget for Rivers State amid the state’s ongoing political crisis and legislative suspension.
The budget’s passage followed the presentation of the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee on Rivers State during Wednesday’s Committee of Supply session.
The total sum of N1,485,662,592,442 is to be drawn from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the state for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2025.
A breakdown of the budget reveals N1.077 trillion allocated to capital expenditure, N287.38 billion for recurrent non-debt spending, and N120.8 billion for debt servicing. Additionally, an extra N50 billion was earmarked for clearing outstanding pensions and gratuities.
During the debate, Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) raised concerns about the allocation for pension liabilities. He warned that without close scrutiny, the N50 billion could be misapplied.
“I urge the committee to intensify its oversight function to ensure that these funds are disbursed promptly to the genuine pensioners,” Ningi stated.
The 2025 Rivers State Appropriation Bill had been forwarded to the National Assembly in May 2025 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a rare move prompted by the lingering political turmoil in Rivers State. The crisis led to the suspension of the Rivers State House of Assembly and executive dysfunction under Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Lawmakers noted the budget’s heavy tilt towards infrastructure development but stressed the need for transparent execution, especially in the absence of a functional state legislature.
