Governor Alia’s Fiscal Discipline Driving Real Development Across the State

A detailed breakdown of the Benue State 2025 budget under Governor Hyacinth Alia reveals a state on the rise, marked by fiscal discipline and a renewed focus on development. Presented on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, the 2025 Benue State Appropriation Bill showcases a bold developmental focus, with a total budget of ₦550.1 billion. Of this, ₦192.5 billion (35%) is earmarked for Recurrent Expenditure, while ₦357.6 billion (65%) is devoted to Capital Expenditure—one of the most progressive capital-to-recurrent ratios in the state’s history.

This fiscal strategy emphasizes infrastructure growth, economic stimulation, and social investments, signaling a departure from past trends. Under previous administrations (2019-2022), budgets were heavily tilted toward recurrent costs, with about 90% of spending on salaries, overheads, and administrative expenses, leaving barely 10% for real development. Governor Alia’s administration has reversed this pattern dramatically, with capital expenditure allocation soaring from 54% in 2022 to 254.1% in 2024, and now reaching a record-breaking 538.6% in 2025.

This surge has translated into visible projects across sectors, including road infrastructure, healthcare, education, agriculture, energy, and human capacity development. Key initiatives include the reconstruction of the Benue State House of Assembly Complex with modern facilities, remodeling the Assembly Clinic into a 21st-century health center, and the execution of 16 strategic township roads in Makurdi, Gboko, and Otukpo metropolises. Other efforts encompass the installation of solar street lights under the Light-Up Makurdi Project, yearly procurement of over 1,000 trucks of fertilizer distributed to farmers at subsidized rates, and improved water supply and sanitation across major towns.

The administration has also trained 10,000 youths in ICT and digital skills in collaboration with Google and Microsoft, transformed the Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH) with modern facilities, and reactivated the Benue Microfinance Bank to support small and medium enterprises. Additional milestones include the procurement of 100 modern buses for Benue Links, payment of WAEC and NECO fees for all public secondary school students, rehabilitation of the State Secretariat with new 33KVA transformers, and the construction of two underpasses in Makurdi and Gboko.

Governor Alia inherited a financially distressed state in May 2023, burdened with ₦359.6 billion in total debt, 10 months of unpaid salaries, and 36 months of pension arrears. Within a year, seven months’ salaries were cleared, pensions reduced by 10 months, and regular monthly payments restored—all without new loans. The Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) doubled in 2024 to over ₦20 billion and is expected to exceed ₦30 billion in 2025, reflecting improved collection efficiency, an expanded taxable base, and renewed public trust.

The state’s attractiveness to development partners has also grown, with grants and external funding rising by 153.3%, indicating stronger institutional capacity and renewed donor confidence in Benue’s fiscal management. Capital project performance has witnessed an astronomical improvement, jumping from 23.8% in 2022 to 85.06% in 2024—the best in nearly two decades.

This level of execution signals fiscal discipline, better project design, and stronger alignment between budget plans and actual implementation. The difference between budgeted and actual capital spending has climbed from 36% to 65%, underscoring accountability and improved governance systems. Beyond numbers, Governor Alia’s administration has redefined fiscal responsibility by reducing waste, prioritizing investment, and ensuring transparent disbursement, gradually freeing the state from the “consumption trap” that once stifled its growth.

Under Alia’s leadership, Benue’s current fiscal structure reflects courage and innovation, transitioning from dependency to productivity and from routine spending to tangible development. This renewed vision, driven by choice and disciplined leadership, is reshaping the state’s physical and economic landscape for the better.

Reported by Sir Tersoo Kula, mnipr, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Hyacinth Alia