President Bola Tinubu has formally submitted the Rivers State 2025 budget proposal of N1.481 trillion to the National Assembly for consideration and approval, following the Supreme Court's nullification of the state's earlier budget.

The President's action comes as Rivers State remains under emergency rule, which was declared on March 18, 2025. Under the emergency provisions, Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu were suspended for six months, while all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly were also suspended.

In their place, Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (Rtd) was appointed as Sole Administrator, with the National Assembly assuming the legislative functions of the State Assembly in accordance with constitutional provisions.

Budget Breakdown

In his letter to the National Assembly, President Tinubu provided a breakdown of the proposed budget allocations:

- N324 billion for infrastructure development

- N166 billion for healthcare services

- N75.6 billion for education

- N31.4 billion for agriculture

The President highlighted that the agricultural sector investments are expected to generate approximately 6,000 jobs for Rivers State residents. He urged lawmakers to expedite the passage of the budget for the benefit of the people of Rivers State.

This unusual budgetary process underscores the exceptional circumstances in Rivers State, where political tensions led to the declaration of emergency rule. The National Assembly's role in approving a state budget represents a rare constitutional intervention in Nigeria's federal system.

Political observers are closely monitoring the situation, as the emergency rule period approaches its halfway point, with questions remaining about the state's governance structure once the six-month suspension period concludes.