Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, has presented a budget proposal of N606.99 billion to the State House of Assembly for the 2025 fiscal year. This marks a 48% increase compared to the 2024 budget of N410.13 billion.
The proposed budget allocates N139.5 billion to recurrent expenditures, reflecting a 45% growth, while N467.5 billion is designated for capital expenditures, representing a 48.9% increase. The capital budget constitutes 77% of the total budget size, with recurrent expenditures accounting for 23%, maintaining the same ratio as in the 2024 budget.
The budget deficit is projected at N148.3 billion, which is 24% of the total budget, an improvement compared to 30% in 2024. Governor Soludo noted that, as in the previous year, the deficit is expected to be addressed through revenue growth or borrowing from financial institutions.
He highlighted that Anambra State has not borrowed to finance deficits in 2023 and 2024 and expressed optimism that the same could be achieved in 2025.
“Depending on the execution in 2025, we may still not borrow to fund the deficit,” Soludo stated.
He also noted significant increases across key sectors:
Administrative sector: 45.5%
Economic sector: 40.1%
Judiciary sector: 51.3%
Social sector: 82.7%
Education: 101.4%
Health: 57.1%
Infrastructure investment: 38.9%
Despite macroeconomic challenges, Soludo assured that his administration remains committed to delivering on the “five fingers” of the Solution Agenda.
“We are working hard, rejigging and strengthening our security architecture. In the coming days and weeks, Ndi Anambra will fully experience our zero tolerance for criminality. Together as a people, we must bond to defeat the criminals among us,” he said.
The governor also highlighted advancements in education, including the extension of the state’s free education policy up to Senior Secondary School Year 3 (SS3) and the recruitment of 3,115 additional teachers, bringing the total to 8,115 teachers.
“There can be no school of any sort—smart or otherwise—without qualitative teachers, and we have rightly prioritized the competitive recruitment of the best teachers for our schools,” Soludo added.
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