NEWS
2024: States Set N15.91trn Budget Benchmark [Breakdown]
In the upcoming year of 2024, the nation’s 36 states, alongside the Federal Capital Territory, have collectively proposed a substantial budget of N15.91 trillion.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu previously presented a N27.50 trillion budget titled the “Budget of Renewed Hope” to the National Assembly in late November 2023.
Presently, this budget is undergoing evaluation and discussions for final approval.
The proposed budget is aimed at fostering economic growth with a focus on generating employment, maintaining macro-economic stability, creating a more favorable investment climate, enhancing human capital development, and addressing poverty while improving access to social security.
Following this, governors from each state across the federation proceeded to present their respective budgets to their state assemblies.
A breakdown of the states’ budgets by regions indicates that the Southwest took the lead with a budget of N4.20 trillion, trailed by the South South with N3.43 trillion, the South East with N2.29 trillion, the North West with N2.50 trillion, the North Central with N1.89 trillion, and the North East with N1.60 trillion.
Within the total budget of N15.91 trillion, Lagos state emerged at the forefront, allocating N2.25 trillion.
This was followed by Akwa Ibom with N845.63 billion, Rivers with N800.39 billion, Delta with N724.90 billion, Ogun with N703.03 billion, Imo with N592.23 billion, Abia with N567.20 billion, Bayelsa with N480.99 billion, Enugu with N521.56 billion, and Anambra with N410.10 billion.
Niger state took the lead among other northern states with a budget of N613.27 billion, followed by Kaduna state with a budget of N458.27 billion. Following closely was Katsina with a budget of N454.31 billion.
Other states include Oyo with N434.22 billion, Zamfara with 423.52 billion, Ondo with N384.53 billion, Kano with N350.20 billion, Borno with N340.62 billion, Edo with N325.30 billion, Taraba with N311.39 billion, Bauchi with N300.22 billion, Jigawa with N298.14 billion, Kwara with N286.40 billion, Plateau with N295.43 billion, and Osun with N273.91 billion.
Kogi state unveiled a budget of ₦258.28 billion, which will be managed by the incoming governor following the departure of Governor Yahaya Bello in February 2024, concluding his two terms of four years in office.
Sokoto followed with a N270.1 billion budget, trailed by Kebbi with N250.13 billion, Cross River with N250 billion, Adamawa with N225.89 billion, Benue with N225.73 billion, Yobe with N217.00 billion, Gombe with N207.75 billion, Ebonyi with N202.13 billion, and Nasarawa with N199.88 billion.
Ekiti state presented the lowest budget of N159.57 billion.
Previously, Economic Confidential, a PR Nigeria subsidiary, identified Lagos, Ogun, Rivers, Kaduna, Kwara, Oyo, and Edo as the most financially robust states in Nigeria for 2022.
Zekeri Idakwo, the Assistant Editor of Economic Confidential, revealed this information during a press briefing and the unveiling of the 2022 Annual States Viability Index Report in Abuja.
He mentioned that the report was assembled using data released by the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics and the Federal Account Allocation Committee.
Oil marketers have warned that Nigerians may soon pay as much as ₦1,500 per litre for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, as global oil prices surge following the escalating conflict involving Iran in the Middle East.
The National President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), Dr. Billy Gillis-Harry, issued the warning on Tuesday while speaking on a television programme on the impact of the global crisis on fuel prices.
According to him, the current volatility in the international oil market has already pushed petrol prices above ₦1,000 per litre at the depot level, with the ex-depot price from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery now standing at about ₦1,175 per litre.
He explained that once logistics, transportation, and other operational costs are added, the final pump price could rise significantly, possibly reaching ₦1,500 per litre in the near future.
Despite concerns about the rising cost of fuel, Gillis-Harry noted that steady availability of petroleum products from the Dangote Refinery remains a major relief for Nigeria, stressing that consistent supply is better than a nationwide fuel scarcity.
He added that the refinery’s production capacity is helping to stabilize supply across the country at a time when global markets remain highly unstable.
The latest price adjustment by the Dangote Refinery marks the fourth review within two weeks. Petrol prices increased from ₦995 per litre to ₦1,175 per litre, while diesel rose from ₦1,430 to about ₦1,620 per litre.
The development comes amid a sharp spike in international crude oil prices triggered by fears of supply disruptions due to the ongoing Middle East conflict.
Brent crude recently climbed above $102 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) rose to around $101 per barrel.
Industry analysts say the rising oil prices are already having a ripple effect on Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector, forcing depot operators and fuel marketers to adjust their prices in response to the global market trend.
Meanwhile, the management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery has stated that although Nigeria introduced a crude-for-naira arrangement to support local refineries, the facility still purchases crude oil at international market prices, leaving it exposed to global price fluctuations.
The United Nations has raised the alarm over a dramatic surge in attacks on schools worldwide, reporting a 166% increase between 2021 and 2024.
The rise highlights the escalating dangers faced by children in conflict zones.
United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Nada Al-Nashif, revealed the figures during the annual meeting of the UN Human Rights Council on the rights of the child on Monday.
The session, themed “Mainstreaming the Rights of Children in Armed Conflict: Prevention and Protection,” focused on protecting children amid global conflicts.
Al-Nashif noted that the attacks were particularly concentrated in Sudan, Ukraine, the Gaza Strip, Myanmar, and Ethiopia, where children remain among the most vulnerable victims.
“In 2024, armed conflict directly affected nearly one in six children globally—about 470 million children,” she said. “Years of lost education, trauma, and lasting mental scars shape societies for generations. Long after the fighting subsides, children continue to face deadly risks.”
She highlighted Gaza as having the world’s highest number of child amputees per capita, warning that the impact of war goes far beyond immediate violence.
In Lebanon, government figures show that more than 450,000 people were displaced in less than a week, with at least 394 fatalities, including 83 children, during the 2024 conflict with Israel.
Al-Nashif also stressed the disproportionate risks for displaced children, who are more likely to die from disease linked to unsafe water and sanitation than from direct violence.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, a 2025 cholera outbreak killed 340 children, underscoring the long-term consequences of conflict.
She called on states to uphold their international obligations to protect children, insisting that protecting children is “both a legal obligation and a humanitarian moral imperative.”
Also speaking at the council, Vanessa Frazier, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, warned that violence against children continued at extreme levels in 2025.
She urged mainstreaming child protection across peace, security, humanitarian, human rights, and development efforts, emphasizing that children should actively participate in shaping policies designed to safeguard them.
Frazier highlighted her office’s global campaign, “Prove It Matters,” aimed at amplifying children’s voices in conflict resolution and peacebuilding.
The UN report underscores the urgent need for coordinated international action to protect children and ensure their safety in conflict zones worldwide.
Portugal officially inaugurated its new president, Antonio Jose Seguro, on Monday, pledging to bring stability to a nation shaken by political uncertainty and natural disasters.
Seguro, the centre-left candidate, won last month’s presidential run-off against far-right rival Andre Ventura, following weeks of catastrophic storms that killed at least seven people and caused approximately €4 billion ($4.6 billion) in damage.
Speaking at his swearing-in ceremony in Lisbon’s parliament, Seguro emphasized cooperation with the minority right-wing government and vowed to end the country’s “electoral frenzy.”
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“I will do everything I can to put an end to this electoral frenzy,” he said, pointing to the inability of previous governments to complete their terms.
Amid global crises, including conflicts in the Middle East and a more isolationist US approach under President Donald Trump, Seguro stressed the importance of multilateralism.
“The force of law has been replaced by the power of the strongest,” he remarked.
Seguro succeeds Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, a conservative who leaves office at 77 after serving two five-year terms.
While the Portuguese presidency is largely ceremonial, Seguro’s leadership signals a commitment to political stability and international engagement.
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