Eno raises Akwa Ibom budget to N1.65 trillion, declares state of emergency on health

The state government said the expanded fiscal plan is to cater for new priorities, including housing estates and funding for newly created Ministries of Sports, Digital Economy, Humanitarian Services, and the Bureau of Rural Development and Cooperatives.

Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State has approved a N695 billion supplementary budget, bringing the total budget size for 2025 to N1.65 trillion, the highest in the state’s history.

In a statement on Friday, the Commissioner for Information, Aniekan Umanah, said the approval was given at Friday’s State Executive Council.

Mr Umanah said the governor has also declared a state of emergency in the health sector to fast-track reforms and improve service delivery.

“In line with the need to realign priorities and provide for emerging expenditures in government projects and programmes, Council considered a memorandum from the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning for a 2025 Supplementary Budget Estimate and approved an augmentation to the sum of N695 billion.

“With this approval, the total budget size for 2025 now stands at N1.65 trillion, comprising N125,664,328,180 for Recurrent Expenditure and N569,335,671,820 for Capital Expenditure, incorporated into the original appropriation of N955 billion,” Mr Umanah said.

“Council also approved the amendment of the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) in line with the Fiscal Responsibility Law of Akwa Ibom State, raising it from N980 billion to N1.7 trillion,” the commissioner said, adding that the expanded fiscal plan is to cater for new priorities, including national minimum wage implementation, emergency flood control, housing estates and funding for newly created ministries of Sports, Digital Economy, Humanitarian Services and the Bureau of Rural Development and Cooperatives.

State of emergency in health sector

Mr Umanah also disclosed that Governor Eno has declared a state of emergency in the health sector and approved the recruitment of an additional 1,000 health workers, bringing the total to 2,000.

“Council also undertook a comprehensive review of the state’s healthcare development roadmap, after which Governor Eno declared a State of Emergency on the Health Sector to accelerate reforms and deliver efficient healthcare services.

“Key directives under this emergency regime include further upgrade of medical facilities across the State, reopening of the recruitment portal, and engagement of 2,000 healthcare workers, with the Voters Identification Number requirement waived for applicants. Council further directed the upgrading of health training institutions, enrollment and training of health professionals, as well as the engagement of retired but willing medical personnel on a contract basis,” he said.

The state of emergency in the health sector is coming about a week after a panel set up by the state government to investigate the death of a pregnant woman and her newborn at the General Hospital, Ikot Ekpene, submitted its report to the state government.

The governor constituted an Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee to implement the state of emergency. Membership of the committee includes the Commissioner for Health, Ekem John as the chairperson, Frank Ekpenyong, commissioner for Science & Digital Economy, and 10 other members.