… Plans to spend N4bn on social protection programmes in 2022***

The Kaduna government is to spend one billion Naira on rural feeder roads projects across the state in 2022.

This is contained in the 2022 budget size of N278.6 billion signed by Gov. Nasir El-Rufai on Dec. 22, obtained by the newsmen in Kaduna on Monday.

The document showed that N3.9 billion was allocated to the Ministry for Local Government Affairs of which N3.2 billion was for capital expenditure and N647.8 million for recurrent.

Of the N3.2 billion capital expenditure, N154 million was for the purchase and installation of transformers, N42.9 million for rural electrification, N1.8 billion for the construction and renovation of emirs and chief places.

Also, N50 million was provided as a counterpart for the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project, while N195.6 million was allocated for Kauru special intervention on rural electrification projects.

Newsmen report that the N3.2 billion allocated for capital expenditure was higher than the N1.9 billion allocated for the ministry in 2021.

For the N647.8 million allocated for recurrent, N124.5 was allocated for consolidated salary, N9.5 million for seminars, workshops, and conferences of traditional institutions, and N298.4 million for contribution to traditional councils.

Similarly, N100 million was earmarked for the installation and coronation of new chiefs and emirs, N44.4 million for welfare packages, N1.2 million for refreshment and meals and N2.2 million for entertainment and hospitality.

In the same vein, The Kaduna State Government is to spend a total of N4 billion to uplift more people from poverty and vulnerability in 2022.

This is contained in the budget N278.6 billion signed by Gov. Nasir El-Rufai on Dec. 22.

In the budget, obtained by the newsmen in Kaduna on Monday, N5.4 billion was allocated for the Ministry of Human Services and Social Development (MHSSD) for capital expenditure,

The document also showed that N1 billion would be spent on the Children at Risk programme and N2.9 million for the repatriation of foster and destitute children.

It also showed that N180.1 million was allocated for Kaduna State Women Empowerment Funds, N24 million for creative arts and culture, and N18 million for Vagina Visco Fistula Intervention.

Also, N37.2 million was earmarked for child protection services, N20.4 million for support and assistance for the completion of 23 community self-help projects across the state.

A total of N15.6 million was earmarked for the establishment of the Kaduna State Youth Parliament, N20.4 million of Sexual Assault Referral Centres, and N100 million for the Disability Trust Fund.

The government further provided N27.6 million for the provision of adequate complementary food to children with moderate acute malnutrition to children aged six to 23 months.

Newsmen report that a total of N5.6 billion was allocated to the ministry, representing two per cent of the total budget size, of which N5.4 billion was for recurrent and N147.3 million for capital.

Under the recurrent expenditure, N583, 000 was allocated for gender activities, N1.4 million for special day celebration, N440, 000 for supervision and N1.7 million to support National Youth Service Corps activities.

The state government also earmarked a total of N280.2 million for the State Rehabilitation Board of which N147 million was allocated for the completion of the three ultra-modern rehabilitation centres at Soba, Birnin Gwari and Jaba Local Governments.

For the N133.2 million allocated for recurrent expenditure, N2.5 million was for drugs, laboratory, and medical supplies, N7.5 million for teaching aids and instructional materials and N33 million for foodstuff and catering materials supplies.

Also, N600, 000 was earmarked for special day celebrations, N5.4 million for the rehabilitation of persons with disability, and N8 million for resettlement tools.