…Earmarks N6.2b for free education, school feeding
The Kano State government said the sum of N2.5 billion has been earmarked for the conduct of mass wedding in the state.
The State’s Commissioner of Planning and Budget, Musa Sulaiman Shanono, stated this while briefing newsmen on the breakdown of the N719.7 billion approved budget for the fiscal year 2025.
Shanono said the money will be used for the conduct of the quarterly mass wedding across the 44 LGAs of the state.
Recall that the mass wedding was first introduced in the state by the two-term former governor, Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso-led administration.
Recall that the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP-led government under Governor Abba Yusuf had, in 2023, conducted a mass wedding for over 1,800 couples in the state at the cost of N854 million.
The commissioner further said that the whopping sum of N6.2 billion has also been allocated for free education program (N4 billion) and free school feeding (N2.2 billion) in the state.
He said the education sector got the lion’s share of the budget with an allocation of N205.9 billion, representing 29% of the total budget size.
According to him, “The 2025 proposed budget tagged “Budget of Hope, Human Capital, and Economic Development” seeks to further consolidate the state government policies that are being implemented in directing resources and efforts to stimulate human capital and economic growth of the state.
“The proposed budget had a total size of N549.1 billion as presented to the State House of Assembly. The House, in line with the provision of the law, has gone into the processes of scrutiny, consultations, and public hearing. The budget was passed into law on Thursday, 20th December, 2024, and assented to by His Excellency, the Executive Governor, on 31st December, 2024. The 2025 approved budget has a total size of N719.7 billion, representing an increase of N170,595,000,000, equivalent to 31%, over what was initially submitted by His Excellency to the State House of Assembly. The total recurrent expenditure is N262.6 billion, and the total capital expenditure is N457 billion. The ratio of recurrent to capital expenditure is 36:64. The budget is higher than the 2024 by N282.4 billion, which represents a 65% increase. The approved budget is above the state’s projected available resources as contained in the 2025-2027 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) due to the improvement of new sources of revenue from FAAC as a result of subsidy removal and other capital receipts.
“The total approved recurrent revenue for the fiscal year 2025 budget stands at N617 billion, consisting of N85.8 billion in internally generated revenue (IGR) and N531 billion in expected revenues from Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) as against the 2024 total recurrent revenue of N379.7 billion. By extension, the 2025 recurrent revenue is higher than that of the year 2024 by N237 billion, representing an increase of 62.5%. It is equally important to note that the projected Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) is less than that of the year 2024 by N16 billion, representing a 15.8% decrease. Capital Receipts Ladies and gentlemen, the estimated capital receipts for the year 2025 stand at N73.7 billion. While the Treasury Opening Balance is to the tune of N29 billion.
“Below is the detailed breakdown of some major projects and programs set aside for each sector in 2025. The 2025 approved budget for this sector (education sector) received the sum of N205.9 billion. Free education program—N4 billion, school feeding programs in all early child care and primary schools to improve nutritional status, learning capacities, and enrolment/retention of school-aged children through community participation—N2.2 billion.
“…The government planned to spend N91.3 billion for sector-related programs and services in this fiscal year. A few of the programs include the following: Primary schools free afternoon meal program (CRC facilitation) – N500 million, quarterly auren gata/zawarawa and Yan mata (mass wedding) across 44 LGAs – N2.5 billion,” the Commissioner, Shanono, however, stated.
