Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State has approved a N695 billion supplementary budget, raising the state’s 2025 budget to N1.65 trillion — the largest in its history.
In a statement issued Friday, Commissioner for Information Aniekan Umanah confirmed that the approval came during the State Executive Council meeting.
He added that the governor has also declared a state of emergency in the health sector to accelerate reforms and enhance service delivery.
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“In line with the need to realign priorities and provide for emerging expenditures in government projects and programmes, Council considered a memorandum from the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning for a 2025 Supplementary Budget Estimate and approved an augmentation to the sum of N695 billion.
“With this approval, the total budget size for 2025 now stands at N1.65 trillion, comprising N125,664,328,180 for Recurrent Expenditure and N569,335,671,820 for Capital Expenditure, incorporated into the original appropriation of N955 billion,” Mr Umanah said.
“Council also approved the amendment of the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) in line with the Fiscal Responsibility Law of Akwa Ibom State, raising it from N980 billion to N1.7 trillion,” the commissioner said, adding that the expanded fiscal plan is to cater for new priorities, including national minimum wage implementation, emergency flood control, housing estates and funding for newly created ministries of Sports, Digital Economy, Humanitarian Services and the Bureau of Rural Development and Cooperatives.
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Mr. Umanah further revealed that Governor Eno has declared a state of emergency in the health sector and authorized the hiring of 1,000 more health workers, raising the total number to 2,000.
“Council also undertook a comprehensive review of the state’s healthcare development roadmap, after which Governor Eno declared a State of Emergency on the Health Sector to accelerate reforms and deliver efficient healthcare services.
“Key directives under this emergency regime include further upgrade of medical facilities across the State, reopening of the recruitment portal, and engagement of 2,000 healthcare workers, with the Voters Identification Number requirement waived for applicants. Council further directed the upgrading of health training institutions, enrollment and training of health professionals, as well as the engagement of retired but willing medical personnel on a contract basis,” he said.
The declaration of a state of emergency in the health sector comes about a week after a government panel submitted its report on the death of a pregnant woman and her baby during a caesarean section at the General Hospital, Ikot Ekpene.
To drive the emergency response, the governor has set up an Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee chaired by Health Commissioner Ekem John, with Science & Digital Economy Commissioner Frank Ekpenyong and 10 other members as part of the team.
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