, submitted a 2022 budget of 186.64 billion and N186.64 billion to the state assembly

Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, on Tuesday,
presented to the State House of Assembly, the 2022
Budget estimates of One Hundred and Eighty-Six Billion,
Six Hundred and Thirty-Five Million, One Hundred and
Thirty-Five Thousand, Seven Hundred and Seventy Naira
(N186,635,135,770.00) for consideration and approval .
Presenting the budget proposal tagged: “Budget of
Sustained Growth and Consolidation”, Gov. Ugwuanyi
disclosed that it “is 9.9% higher than our 2021 budget”,
adding that out of the total budget size, the sum of
N71,477,449,812.00, representing 38% of the total budget
is for Recurrent Expenditure while the sum of
N115,157,685,770.00 is for Capital Expenditure,
representing 62% of the budget size.
The governor explained that the projections for the 2022
Budget of the state were founded on the economic and
fiscal updates of “National Inflation Rate of 13%; National
Real GDP Growth of 4.2%; Oil Production Benchmark of
1.88 million barrels per day; Oil Price Benchmark of $57
per barrel and Exchange Rate of N410.15 per US Dollar”.
Gov. Ugwuanyi hinted that the key deliverables of the 2022
Capital Budget include completion of all ongoing projects;
purchase of 10 tractors and other agricultural equipment
to assist mechanized farming in the state; provision of
agricultural inputs, infrastructure and upgrading of wet
markets for production and enhanced food processing
(NG-CARES); using the Agro processing, Productivity
Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support
(APPEALS) for Capacity Building, Women/Youth
Empowerment, and Development of Farmers’ Aggregation
and Processing Centres; purchase of Waste Disposal
Compactor Trucks and dumpsters to enhance urban
cleanliness; and launch of the 4th edition of Traders
Empowerment scheme for 57 major urban and rural
markets in Enugu State.
Other key deliverables of the 2022 budget, according to
the governor, were the establishment of facility centers for
industrial processing of value chain for palm oil, cassava
and cashew nut in Enugu State; construction of Ibagwa –
Itchi, Iheaka – Iheakpu-Awka Roads in Igbo Eze South
Local Government Area; rehabilitation of Agbani Road-
Police College-Gariki Flyover Road (By Port Harcourt
Expressway); construction of Bridges/River crossings over
Ogurugu River, Adada River and River Obinna in Uzo-Uwani
LGA, Ike River in Aninri LGA, Ogbafun River, Agu Idume in
Nkanu East LGA amongst others; rehabilitation of basic
schools across the 17 LGAs of the State; construction of
Type III Primary Healthcare facilities in Oji River, Awgu and
Aninri LGAs; completion of ongoing key infrastructure for
the take-off of College of Medicine and Teaching Hospital,
Enugu State University of Science & Technology, Igbo Eno;
and drilling, rehabilitation and reticulation of Water
Boreholes in Communities across the State.
Gov. Ugwuanyi who revealed the desire of his
administration to hit the ground running in the New Year,
as it implements its last full year budget; added that the
key deliverables of the 2022 budget proposal were also
rehabilitation and upgrading of Recreational Parks (Eze,
Onwudiwe and Coal Camp); upgrading and improvement
of Enugu Urban Water Supply and Distribution System
through the AFD-funded 3rd National Urban Water Sector
Reform Project (3rd NUWSRP); construction of Court
buildings to include three (3) High Court buildings in three
(3) Judicial divisions – Udi, Orba and Amagunze, six (6)
Magistrate Courts buildings in Amechi Idodo, Nike, Orba,
Nara, Ozalla and Awhum, Enugu State; perimeter Fencing,
Landscaping and Furnishing of thirty-four (34) Customary
Courts already built across the State; bulk Purchase of
Electricity Distribution Transformers (500KVA and 300KVA)
to upgrade and replace the failed ones in the rural
communities of the State; construction of Oji River
Township Stadium, Oji River LGA, and establishment of
additional Enugu State Technology Hub and Innovation
Centre at 9th Mile, Udi LGA.
On 2021 budget performance, Gov. Ugwuanyi pointed out
that the year started on a note of recovery as national and
sub-national governments embarked on strategic
economic engineering, through innovative economic
policies, to reflate the Covid-beaten economy of the
previous year.
He said that his administration embarked on deliberate
measures to bring succour to Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises, adding that “Enugu State engaged fully in the
preparatory activities for the Nigeria Covid-19 Action
Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) Program
for Results, an initiative of the Federal Government of
Nigeria supported by World Bank to mitigate the economic
disruption occasioned by the Covid-19 Pandemic by
protecting the livelihoods and food security of the poor
and vulnerable families while facilitating the recovery of
local economic activities in all the participating States”.
The governor revealed that in spite of economic, security
and public health challenges his administration maintained
the payment of the N30,000.00 Minimum Wage, as at
when due, since February 2020; made substantial progress
in the construction of the first Enugu State Government’s
Flyover which is progressively taking its pride of place at
the T-Junction, Nike Lake Road – a 105 meters bridge
section, with ramps measuring 590m in cumulative length
and four (4) Service lanes which on completion will
enhance traffic flow around Trans-Ekulu, Nike and Nike
Lake Resort axis; continued massive construction of new
roads and rehabilitation of existing ones in both urban and
rural areas of the state, to ease the movement of persons
and materials in keeping with the state government’s
policy on roads.
Other key achievements include the ongoing construction
of 600-Seater Event Hall; Lawn Tennis Court; Security
Personnel Quarters; and Remodeling of 2 No existing
Duplexes; expansive Car Park and landscaping at the old
Governor’s Lodge; and the ongoing construction of Nsukka
Conference Centre in Nsukka LGA with facilities such as
five units of Halls of various seating capacities ranging
from 200 to 1,000, a Swimming Pool, Lawn Tennis Court,
amongst other recreational facilities; construction of 194
units of Ultra-Modern Bus Shelters in Enugu Metropolis
since December 2020 with 107 units of the facility already
completed; completed the State Secretariat Annex at
Nsukka and relocation of the Zonal Offices of Ministries,
Departments and Agencies (MDAs) that were hitherto
operating in make-shift structures under one roof, to the
new befitting structure.
The governor stated that all Permanent Secretaries,
Directors, Deputy Directors, select Middle Level Manpower
across MDAs, State EXCO Secretariat Staff and New
Employees, have engaged in trainings (ICT, Peer Learning,
Knowledge & Experience Sharing, Interactive Sessions) to
build capacity required in a modern-day Civil Service.
“Notably, Three (3) Permanent Secretaries; Thirty-One (31)
Directors; and Nineteen (19) Deputy Directors have
undergone Four (4) Weeks Policy, Strategy and Leadership
Course at National Institute for Policy and Strategic
Studies (NIPPS), Kuru, Jos, Plateau State (within three
months – 6th September, 2021 to the 27th November
2021).
“All these are purposeful human capital investments aimed
at building capacities of Civil Servants for enhanced
service delivery. It is our sincere wish to bequeath Enugu
State Civil Service that is well-equipped and well-
motivated for the job in hand.
“We are yet to fully recover from the negative economic
impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and have not rested on
our oars in the battle for the containment of this
contagion. Within the period under review, we have
continued the following interventions:
“The ongoing construction of Amenity facility in Enugu
Ezike General hospital, the completed seven (7) Model
Type III Primary Healthcare facilities in Nkanu East, Igbo-
Etiti, Igbo-Eze South, Isi-Uzo, Udenu, Ezeagu and Uzo-
Uwani LGAs when put into use will boost the delivery of
healthcare services in the State.
“Within the period under view, we attained significant
milestones in the development of ESUT College of
Medicine and Teaching Hospital, Igbo Eno.
“The construction of Cottage Hospitals with Isolation
Wards in Awgu, Orba, Enugu Ezike and Oji-River have been
completed and these will enhance the delivery of
secondary healthcare services within their environs.
“We have successfully installed 100 (One Hundred) units
of 200 litres Solar Refrigerators and Freezers at various
Health Centres across the State”.
“We are transposing our State Health Systems to provide
primary healthcare through the Enugu State Agency for
Universal Health Coverage. Under the Enugu State
Universal Health Coverage Scheme (ESUHCS), we are
targeting the enrolment of all Enugu State residents. This
will also facilitate the provision of free healthcare to
vulnerable persons in the State, among others”.
Gov. Ugwuanyi further stated that despite the slow
recovery of the Nigerian economy from the challenges
occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic and others, his
administration has been able to maintain traction in other
sectors such as education, security, tourism, human
capital development, Judiciary, religion, agriculture, water
supply, scholarship schemes, sports development, science
and technology, state parliament and chieftaincy matters,
among others.
Responding, the Speaker of the State House Assembly, Rt.
Hon. Edward Ubosi thanked Gov. Ugwuanyi for presenting
a modest and realizable budget estimates, assuring him
that the House will give it expeditious consideration and
passage.
The Deputy Governor, Hon. Mrs. Cecilia Ezeilo, member
representing Enugu North/South Federal Constituency, Rt.
Hon. Ofor Chukwuegbo, State Chairman of the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP), Hon. Augustine Nnamani,
members of the State Executive Council, Council
Chairmen, the Royal Fathers led by the Chairman of the
State Council of Traditional Rulers, HRH Igwe Amb.
Lawrence Agubuzu, former State Chairmen of PDP, Chief
Engr. Vita Abba and Chief Ikejeu Asogwa, and other top
government officials witnessed the
event.