Nigeria is about to wrap up its fiscal year for 2024. To prepare for the coming fiscal year, the president presented the proposed 2025 budget to a joint session of the National Assembly on Wednesday.

The budget has an allocation of N49.7 trillion.

As usual, many Nigerians are eager to know which sectors take the lion?s share in the budget and which ones the president has considered a priority.

While presenting the proposed budget, Tinubu highlighted defence and security, education, health, agriculture, and infrastructure as some of the sectors the budget will prioritise and help improve in the coming year.

1. Defence and Security

For decades, insecurity has been a major challenge facing Nigeria. With the rise of insurgents and armed groups in the north and secessionist agitators in the Southeast, millions of Nigerians have lost their lives and been displaced due to insecurity. Year in and year out, administrations have vowed to combat this menace, but despite all efforts geared toward fighting insecurity, it has not ceased to be an issue.

Tinubu allocated N4.91 trillion to defence and security. According to the president, this allocation will provide funding for the military and paramilitary agencies to secure the country?s territory from attacks while equipping them with state-of-the-art arms, ammunition, and other tools to combat insecurity.

?The officers, men, and women of our Armed Forces and the Nigerian Police Force are shields and protectors of our nation.?

?Our administration will continue to empower them to defeat insurgency, banditry, and all threats to our sovereignty. Our people will no longer live in fear, whether on their farmlands, highways, or cities. By restoring peace, we restore productivity, revive businesses, and rebuild our communities,? said Tinubu.

2. Agriculture

Nigeria is experiencing a severe food insecurity crisis. With the rising cost of goods and services, many Nigerians cannot afford healthy diets. This has contributed to increased malnutrition rates across the country. He said the budget will address food insecurity and affordability by supporting farmers with adequate funding.

?Increasing agricultural production is central to our food security agenda, but insecurity has crippled this vital sector. We will support our farmers with funding and inputs to reignite productivity.?

3. Health

The health sector received an allocation of N2.48 trillion. The president has assured Nigerians that his administration will provide infrastructure with N402 billion, while N282.65 billion will be expended on the Basic Health Care Fund.

?This aligns with the Federal Government?s planned procurement of essential drugs for distribution to public healthcare facilities nationwide, improving healthcare access and reducing medical import dependency,? he noted.

4. Education

The education sector got an allocation of N3.52 trillion. From this allocation, N826.90 billion naira will be spent on infrastructure development in the educational sector for the 2025 budget. He also noted that the budget makes provision for Universal Basic Education (UBEC).

5. Infrastructure

Infrastructural development enjoys a N4.06 trillion allocation in the 2025 proposed budget. Tinubu promised Nigerians that infrastructure development would be prioritised in 2025. He said his administration has begun some constructions, including the Lagos-Calabar highway and Sokoto-Badagry highway. He said these projects will impact the lives of many Nigerians. (The Guardian)

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