Cross River Assembly Approves N642bn Supplementary Budget for 2025

By Babatunji Wusu

• Additional N142bn boosts 2025 budget to fund infrastructure.
• Lawmakers cite new obligations, emergency spending, and revenue outlook.
• Funds allocated to Administration, Economic, Law & Justice, Regional, and Social sectors.

The Cross River State House of Assembly has approved a supplementary budget of N642,160,260,164.66 for 2025, representing a 26% increase over the original N538,523,915,716.00 “Budget of Sustainable Growth” passed on December 24, 2024.

The N142 billion boost was attributed to Governor Bassey Otu’s push for extensive infrastructural projects across the state’s 18 local government areas. Presenting the Finance and Appropriation Committee’s report, Chairman Hon. Okon Nyong Owuna said the adjustment was necessary to cover critical expenses not captured in the original budget.

Owuna explained that new obligations, unplanned emergency expenditures, and the approval of strategic programs requiring urgent financing, coupled with an optimistic outlook on Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and federal allocations, justified the increase. He said the additional funds would go into Administration, Economic, Law and Justice, Regional, and Social sectors, financed through IGR, aids, grants, and FAAC allocations.

He commended the Otu administration for adhering to constitutional provisions in passing a supplementary budget — a departure from the state’s previous trend of downward budget revisions and amendments.

Speaker Rt Hon Elvert Ayambem assured that the revised budget prioritises citizen welfare, stressing that development projects across all LGAs have been adequately provided for to advance Cross River’s transformation agenda.