By peterside Rejoice Eneky
The Senate has passed the 2025 Appropriation Bill for Rivers State for second reading, approving a ₦1.481 trillion budget designed to sustain governance in the state currently under emergency rule.
The bill was presented on the floor of the Senate by Senate Majority Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, during Wednesday’s plenary. It comes in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling that voided an earlier budget passed by the now-suspended Rivers State House of Assembly.
The new budget, which covers the remainder of the 2025 fiscal year up to December 31, was debated and approved as part of the Senate’s constitutional intervention following the declaration of emergency rule in the state by President Bola Tinubu.
Budget Breakdown
The 2025 Rivers State budget prioritizes key development sectors, including:
Infrastructure – ₦324 billion
Healthcare – ₦166.5 billion
Education – ₦75.6 billion
Agriculture – ₦32 billion
Youth Empowerment – ₦6.2 billion
Women Affairs – ₦5.2 billion
The bill outlines funding sources from Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) disbursements, Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), statutory allocations, VAT, mineral funds, and federal refunds.
According to the Senate, the primary goals of the budget are to stabilize governance in the state, restore essential public services, create at least 6,000 jobs, and drive economic recovery.
Leading the debate, Senator Bamidele said the budget represents a strategic response to the political and administrative vacuum in Rivers State.
“We are stepping in to protect the constitutional integrity of governance in Rivers State. This appropriation is a rescue mission to ensure the state does not suffer administrative collapse,” Bamidele stated.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio described the intervention as a constitutional necessity and reaffirmed the commitment of the National Assembly to good governance.
“This Senate will not stand by while governance suffers in any part of the country. Our actions today demonstrate that commitment,” Akpabio said.
The bill now proceeds to the committee stage for further legislative work before a final reading and passage.
Rivers State was placed under emergency rule earlier this year following intense political unrest and legislative paralysis.
The Supreme Court’s recent decision rendered the previous state budget void, prompting federal legislative intervention to maintain order and development.
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