Gombe urged to boost health, education, agriculture budgets in 2025

BY NAJIB SANI, GOMBE

As the 2024 year comes to a close, the government of Gombe State is being called upon to increase its budget allocations to the health, education, and agriculture sectors in the 2025 appropriation bill.

The State Officer BudgIT Foundation (Tracka), Barrister Martha Daniel, made the call in a press release issued to journalists on Monday where she said this push is aimed at enhancing the state’s opportunities to receive more grants from the World Bank and other international partners through performance-based grants.

“Gombe State must prioritise health, education, and agriculture in the 2025 budget to unlock more grants from international partners. Replicating the annual operational plan template used in the health sector to other areas would streamline planning and project implementation.”, she opined.

According to her, Gombe State government has made progress in health financing, with N14.8 billion allocated to healthcare and N22.7 billion to education in the 2023 state’s budget.

She opined however that there is still a need for improved and gender-sensitive budgeting in these critical sectors.

“Gombe State should allocate at least 15% of its annual budget to the health sector and ensure timely and adequate capital budget releases to the Ministry of Health and State Primary Health Care Development Agency.

“Additionally, the state should increase funding for education initiatives and boost allocations to support agricultural development and food security programmes.”, she emphasised.

By increasing budget allocations to these sectors and fulfilling counterpart funding commitments, she said Gombe State could strengthen its position to receive more grants from international partners.