The Senate has approved the 2025 fiscal budget of Rivers State, endorsing a total expenditure of ₦1.485 trillion following the report of the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee on Rivers State.

The appropriation bill, presented during the Committee of Supply session, authorizes the drawdown of ₦1,485,662,592,442 from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of Rivers State for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2025.

A detailed breakdown of the budget reveals:₦120.8 billion allocated for debt servicing, ₦287.38 billion for recurrent (non-debt) expenditure, and a substantial ₦1.077 trillion designated for capital projects throughout the state.

The budget also includes an additional ₦50 billion specifically earmarked for the payment of outstanding pensions and gratuities. This provision drew scrutiny from Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central), who cautioned against potential misuse and urged the committee to strengthen oversight mechanisms.

 “I urge the committee to intensify its oversight function to ensure that these funds are disbursed promptly to the genuine pensioners,” Ningi stated during deliberations.

Notably, the 2025 budget for Rivers State was unusually transmitted to the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu in May, bypassing the state legislature. This intervention follows the political impasse in the state, which has resulted in the suspension of the Rivers State House of Assembly and the sidelining of the executive led by Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

The move underscores ongoing efforts by the federal government to stabilize governance in the oil-rich state amid deepening political divisions.