FROM IKHILI EBALU, BENIN CITY
As efforts to address food insecurity and make Edo State sufficient in food production, Governor Monday Okpebholo has earmarked over N70 billion for agriculture in the 2025 budget.
The 2025 budget tagged ‘Renewed Hope for a Rising Edo’ is meant to revive the economy of the state and deliver the dividends of democracy, with special focus on agricultural revolution, food production and infrastructural development.
Assenting to the bill, Governor Okpebholo stressed that as an administration that is people-centric and concerned about the acute food shortage currently ravaging the country, the 2025 budget was given a significant boost to address the agricultural and make Edo State food sufficient.
While presenting the 2025 Appropriation Bill to the governor for his assent, speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Blessing Agbebaku said the need to adequately combat food insecurity and create food sufficiency in Edo necessitated the upward review of the 2025 budget from the initial N605 billion to N675 billion.
Noting that the country was currently experiencing acute shortfall in food production, a situation that had seen astronomical risen the prices of food production and increased hardship among Nigerians, Agbebaku stressed that the House was committed to partnering with the Governor in ensuring that Edo takes the lead in agricultural revolution and solving the current food challenges plaguing the country.
“We looked at the budget carefully, digested the content and decided, going by the current food insecurity in the country, to fund the agricultural sector to create food sufficiency in Edo State.
“So, the House agreed that the fund going to that sector be increased, and it was given a significant increase to ensure we achieve food sufficiency in Edo State.
“Your excellency, we are here to present the final approved budget that will scale you through this new year. The budget that will ensure infrastructure in all the constituencies in Edo State”, she said.
