FCT Minister presents 2022 N64 billion budget to NASS

The FCT is to spend the sum of N64,861,604,695.00 (Sixty Four Billion, Eight Hundred and Sixty One Million, Six Hundred and Four Thousand and Six Hundred and Ninety Five Naira) for its 2022, National Priority Projects.

This was disclosed by the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello when he presented the FCT’s 2022 National Budget to the Joint Senate and House Committees on the FCT at the National Assembly, on Tuesday, November 9, 2021.

According to the Minister, this figure is contained in the 2022 Appropriation Bill presented to the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari on 7th of October 2021. He also added that the National Budget estimates of the FCT leveraged the 2021-2022 Medium Term National Plan (MTNDP) of the Federal Government.

The Minister also said that the priority of the of the MTNDP is the completion of on-going critical projects that will have the greatest impact on the citizenry and accordingly, the 2022 FCT budget estimates targets the sustained completion of 18 priority projects both within the Federal Capital City (FCC) and the satellite towns.

Some of these priority projects include the installation of solar street lights along various roads in the satellite towns; provision of roads, water and electricity supplies to the resettlement site of Galuwyi Shere (Phase II); Rehabilitation and upgrading of street lighting facilities within the FCC; Design/ construction of dam, treatment plant, tanks and other bulk water supply infrastructure to Karshi; Abuja Light Rail Transit Phase II Addendum 1-2 (2); and the Rehabilitation of Federal Government Buildings amongst others.

Speaking further on the importance of some of the projects, Malam bello said that the construction of the Mpape –Shere Galuwyi road is a bold initiative of the Administration to ensure a successful resettlement process of original inhabitants in about 16 communities while the implementation of the Abuja Light rail Mass transit Phase II Addendum 1-2 (2) will fund the completion of a remaining 5.76km rail line thereby extending the rail line from Baizango to the Kubwa station.

The Minister also said that the Greater Abuja Water supply project is a bilateral initiative to enhance water supply in the FCT and its implementation will extend the supply of potable water to 33 Districts covering Gwarimpa, 1 and 2, Utako, Dutse, Gudu Kaura, Wuye, Mabushi, Jahi, Kado , Karmo, Lokogoma, Kabusa, Dape amongst others.

Speaking on the performance of the 2021 National Budget, Malam Bello said that the 2021 Appropriation Act had allocated the sum of N37, 430,762,421.00 for infrastructure development activities of the FCT Administration. As of date the Minister said, a total sum of N30,147,069,087.06 has been released representing a budget performance of 81% while the actual utilization as at September 30 2021 stood at N18,350, 329,852.46 representing 60% of the sum released.

The Minister also disclosed that there was a need to increase the FCT’s budgetary allocation saying that the FCT should be considered as a national project. He also said that the FCT was performing well in its revenue generation drive as it was now only second to Lagos State in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

Members of the Committee commended the FCT Administration for its 2021 national budget performance, its revenue generation performance while calling for special funding to tackle security challenges in the FCT and also for the development of the satellite towns.

Members of the FCT team to the National Assembly included the Honourable Minister of State, Dr Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, Permanent Secretary, Mr Olusade Adesola, Chief of Staff to the FCT Minister, Malam Bashir Mai-Bornu, the Ag Executive Secretary of the FCDA, Barr. Abdullahi Kuyambana and other senior officials of the Administration.