President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday presented the 2022 budget tagged “Budget of Economic Growth and Sustainability” to the joint session of the National Assembly.
The President in his speech revealed that the budget if approved by the federal lawmakers would be financed with a loan of N5.01trillion.
Buhari characteristically applauded the National Assembly members for speedy and approval of his previous budgets adding that “the 2022 Budget will be the last full year budget to be implemented by this administration.”
The president said, “We designed it to build on the achievements of previous budgets and to deliver on our goals and aspirations as will be reflected in our soon-to-be-launched National Development Plan of 2021 to 2025.”
Amid agitations over the country’s current debt profile, Buhari added, “We plan to finance the deficit mainly by new borrowings totalling N5.01trillion, N90.73billion from privatisation Proceeds and 1.16 trillion Naira drawdowns on loans secured for specific development projects.”
Defending his borrowing plans, the President said the loans taken by his government were expended on capital projects mainly railway projects and other infrastructures.
“I am pleased to inform you that we expect to fund MDAs’ capital budget fully by the end of the fiscal year 2021.
“Capital releases thus far have been prioritised in favour of critical ongoing infrastructural projects in the power, roads, rail, agriculture, health and education sectors.
“We have made progress on the railway projects connecting different parts of the country. I am glad to report that the Lagos-Ibadan Line is now completed and operational. The Abuja-Kaduna Line is running efficiently. The Itakpe-Ajaokuta rail Line was finally completed and commissioned over thirty (30) years after its initiation.
“Arrangements are underway to complete the Ibadan-Kano Line. Also, work will soon commence on the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri Line and Calabar-Lagos Coastal Line, which will connect the Southern and Eastern States to themselves and to the North.
“Progress is also being made on several power generation, transmission, and distribution projects, as well as off-grid solutions, all aimed towards achieving the national goal of optimising power supply by 2025,” Buhari added.
