In order to help the government combat food insecurity, lawmakers raised the state’s 2025 budget from N605 billion to N676 billion, according to Blessing Agbebaku, speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly.
On December 10, 2024, state governor Monday Okpebholo submitted an N605 billion budget proposal to the House for review and approval, as Edotoday remembers. However, the House increased the budget by more than N71 billion, to N676 billion.
Speaking on the justification for the increase, Agbebaku stated that the extra money was needed to effectively address food insecurity and establish food sufficiency in Edo State, in contrast to the N4.5 billion the governor had originally allotted to the area.
“Your Excellency, we present to you the final approved budget that will scale you through this new year. The budget will ensure infrastructure in all the constituencies in Edo State.
“The country is currently experiencing an acute shortfall in food production, a situation that has seen an astronomical rise in the prices of food production, and increased hardship among Nigerians.
“The Legislative Arm is committed to partnering with the Governor in ensuring that Edo takes the lead in agricultural revolution and solving the current food challenges plaguing the country.
“We looked at the budget carefully, digested the content, and decided, going by the current food insecurity in the country, to fund the agricultural sector to create food sufficiency in Edo State.
“So, the House agreed that the fund going to that sector be increased, and it was given a significant increase to ensure we achieve food sufficiency in Edo State,” the Speaker said.
The governor stated in his speech that the lawmakers’ N70 billion investment in the agriculture sector was consistent with his administration’s goal of reducing food insecurity and ensuring Edo’s food production is self-sufficient.
According to Okpebholo, the budget was designed to boost Edo State’s economy and provide the benefits of democracy, with a particular emphasis on food production, agricultural revolution, and infrastructure development.
“As an administration that is people-centric and concerned about the acute food shortage currently ravaging the country, the 2025 budget was given a significant boost to address the agricultural and make Edo State food sufficient.
“This significant allocation to the agriculture sector to address food sufficiency and agricultural revolution underscores my administration’s commitment to food security and reaffirmed my earlier announced plans to engage in massive mechanized farming across the three senatorial districts of the State in early 2025.
“It is therefore expected that, with this significant amount allocated to the agricultural sector, and the proposed mechanized farming schedule to kick-start in early 2025, Edo State will not only achieve food sufficiency but also begin to export agricultural produce to neighboring States in Nigeria,” he added.
