ABUJA — President Bola Tinubu has submitted a revised 2025 Appropriation Bill for Rivers State to the Senate, seeking legislative endorsement for a proposed expenditure of ₦1.48 trillion. This development follows the Supreme Court’s nullification of a previously approved budget passed under the administration of suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio disclosed the request during Thursday’s plenary, citing a presidential letter in line with constitutional provisions. The move comes amid ongoing emergency rule in Rivers State, which has been under a Sole Administrator since a March 2025 Presidential Proclamation, later ratified by the National Assembly.
The proclamation had removed Governor Fubara, his deputy, and the entire State House of Assembly over what the federal government termed a “near breakdown of governance.”
With no functioning state legislature, Tinubu reworked and forwarded the appropriation bill directly to the Senate. The proposed budget highlights infrastructure, health, education, and agriculture as focal areas of spending.
Key Budget Highlights:
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Infrastructure Projects: ₦324 billion earmarked for ongoing and new projects
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Healthcare: ₦166 billion allocated, including ₦5 billion for free malaria drug distribution
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Education: ₦75.6 billion targeting schools and learning resources
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Agriculture: ₦31.4 billion set aside, with plans to create 6,000 jobs
The Senate has referred the budget proposal to its Ad-hoc Committee on Emergency Rule in Rivers State for review and legislative processing.
