The administration of Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje in Kano state has presented the 2018 budget proposal of about N234 billion to the State House of Assembly for considerations. The budget the third which the governor will be presenting since assuming power is tagged ‘Budget of Reality’ and is conceived to address some of the mounting social challenges such as poverty and joblessness.
In his address before making the presentation, Governor Ganduje revealed that approximately N152 billion of the total budget is allocated for capital expenditure, while, about N82 billion is for Re-current spending. This year`s budget is higher by about N17billion than a total of N217 billion expended in the out-going financial year (2017) by the administration.
A break-down of the proposal according to sectoral allocations indicates that highest single allocation of N40 billion was given to the Work and Housing Sector, and the bulk of the allocation to the sector would be used for the completion of some major projects currently under construction. The second single biggest allocation of N35 billion was set aside for the Water Sector, and out of this amount, about N19 billion would be used for the construction of a new Water Treatment Plant.
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The third single biggest allocation of N21 billion was earmarked for the Education Sector, and out this amount, the sum of about N1 billion would be used for the construction of new classrooms and provision of furniture at public primary and secondary schools. The Agriculture sector was allocated N10.4, and out of this amount, the sum of N1 billion was specially made to expand the operations of the Kano Agriculture Supply Company Company (KASCO).
In the same vein, the sum of N9.7 billion was set aside for spending at the Health Sector, while out of this amount N1 billion would be used for the upgrade of facilities at Murtala Mohammed Specialists Hospital. The next single biggest allocation of N8.4 billion was made to the Bureau of Land Management, and most of the spending in the sector is towards completing of some of the major infrastructural projects within the Kano metropolis.
Also, General Administration got $.4 billion, Environment got N3 billion, Judiciary N1.9 billion, Special Duties received N1.58 billion, Information, Youth & Culture received N1.4 billion, Women and Social Development got N1.1 billion, while Commerce, Manufacturing & Tourism got the smallest amount of N965 million.
