The Nigerian Senate has kicked against the proposed multilateral and bilateral N40 billion deduction as contained in the 2025 budget document of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation.
According to the lawmakers, the deduction will leave activities of the Ministry unfulfilled in the provision of water to deserving Nigerians.
This position was highlighted by the Senate Committee on Water Resources and Sanitation, when the Minister of Water Resources, Prof. Joseph Utsev and the ministry management appeared before it for the 2025 budget defence on Wednesday in Abuja.
Chairman of the Committee, Senator Kenneth Chukwuemeka Eze, expressing deep concern, wondered how a critical government ministry charged with the responsibility of water provision to Nigerians will be left with inadequate funds and other challenges in 2025 only to concentrate on loan repayment, insisting that it was not the best way to.
“What happened to the projections for 2025 when loan repayments have consumed a significant portion of the budget?” He queried.
The Committee Chairman and other members of the Committee lamented the devastating effect of erosion across the country, describing the menace as economic and social catastrophes that should be addressed through the budgetary provision in 2025.
Earlier in his presentation of the previous year’s budget performance, the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, elaborated on the ministry’s challenges.
He stated that the allocation for loan repayments deducted at source had left the ministry with only N57.7 billion for its activities.
He said: “In the 2025 budget proposal, priority is given to completing ongoing dam and irrigation projects to enhance agricultural productivity and food security.”
The minister outlined plans for collaboration with the private sector under Public-Private Partnership, PPP, arrangements for dam and hydropower projects, as well as partnerships with international organizations to scale up interventions in sustainable water management and sanitation.
He added, “The Ministry believes that with adequate monetary allocations, we can complete viable projects that contribute to job creation, poverty reduction, and overall economic growth.
“However, the ministry faces a limited expenditure ceiling for capital projects and insufficient overhead allocation to cover day-to-day operations.”
