Oyebanji Presents N490.74bn 2027 Budget to Ekiti Assembly

Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, on Thursday presented a proposed budget of N490.74 billion for the 2027 fiscal year to the State House of Assembly.

The proposal, christened the “Budget of Sustained Progress and Prosperity”, is aimed at consolidating the achievements of the administration and providing a framework for development over the next four years.

Oyebanji presented the budget at the Assembly complex in Ado Ekiti in accordance with the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

He said the proposal was also aligned with the state’s 30-year development plan covering the period from 2021 to 2051.

The governor said the budget comprised N275.68 billion for recurrent expenditure and N215.06 billion for capital expenditure.

According to him, the proposal would focus on six key areas of the administration, including education and healthcare; good governance and transparency; arts, culture and tourism; youth and job creation; infrastructure and industrialisation; and agriculture and rural development.

Oyebanji said the budget would further consolidate the gains recorded under the administration’s Shared Prosperity Agenda while providing a framework for sustained development across the state.

Receiving the proposal, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mr Adeoye Aribasoye, said the budget reflected the aspirations and needs of residents expressed during town hall engagements across the three senatorial districts.

Aribasoye assured the governor that the Assembly would subject the proposal to thorough legislative scrutiny.

He said the review would assess compliance with constitutional provisions, the Fiscal Responsibility Law and other financial regulations, while also examining whether projected revenue sources were realistic and achievable.

The Speaker added that the Assembly would ensure that the public hearing process captured the views of constituents and civil society, while projects were equitably distributed across the three senatorial districts, 16 local government areas and 22 Local Council Development Areas.

He also pledged that lawmakers would scrutinise the balance between recurrent and capital expenditure to ensure that the budget addressed critical needs across the state.

The presentation was attended by the governor’s wife, Dr Olayemi Oyebanji; Deputy Governor, Chief Monisade Afuye; members of the State Executive Council; traditional rulers; government officials and other stakeholders.