The Federal Government will spend the sum of N5.93 trillion on critical sectors of the economy, including defence, health, education and infrastructure in 2022.
The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, disclosed this in Abuja during the public presentation of the 2022 Appropriation Bill on Friday.
She said the Federal Government prioritised defence and infrastructure sectors in the 2022 budget by allocating N2.41 trillion and N1.45t trillion to these sectors respectively.
This, according to her, represents 15 per cent and 8.9 per cent of the total budget.
She noted that the N2.14 trillion allocated to the defence and security sectors includes recurrent and capital expenditure for the Military, Police, Intelligence and Para-Miltary.
Some of the projects that will be funded with the allocation include balance payment for the procurement of 3 X JF – 17 Thunder Aircraft, support equipment and spares including targeting Pod for JF – 17, complete with aircraft arms and ammunition (N22.08 billion), procurement of 30/32/35 metre hydro survey ship and landing ship tank (N9.69 billion) and procurement of 3 X AW109 helicopters and part payment for procurement of 1 X AW139 Helicopter (N1 billion).
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Others are the Completion of Naval War College complex (N4.4 billion) and the upgrade of the Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital Ojo (N1.4 billion).
Meanwhile, the N1.45 trillion allocated for infrastructure includes provisions for Works and Housing, Power (inclusive of Power Sector Recovery Programme provisions), Transport, Water Resources and Aviation.
On allocations for health and education, the minister stated that the sum of N820.2 billion was allocated to the health sector.
The education sector was allocated N1.29 trillion; this is 7.9 per cent of the total budget.
This also includes N875.93billion provided for the Federal Ministry of Education and its agencies for their recurrent and capital expenditure, N108.10billion provided for Universal Basic Education Commission as well as N306.00 billion for transfers to the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).
“For the health sector, we made a provision of N820.2bn. This is for the Federal Ministry of Health and its agencies, including hazard allowances for the medical personnel. We also provided N54.87bn Gavi/Immunisation funds, including Counterpart Funding for Donor Supported Programmes and Global Fund.
“We also provided N54.05 billion for Transfer to Basic Healthcare Provision Fund. The BHCPF has been on statutory transfer since 2020 which means that it is on autopilot so they get the one per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.”
Ahmed also said N863 million had been designated for social development and poverty reduction programmes in the 2022 budget.
