Kwara State Executive Council has given approval to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to present to the state House of Assembly, a draft revised 2023 budget of N239,084,199,757.00, with capital expenditure taking some 50.2% of the chunk, while recurrent tanked to 49.8%.

The revised budget is 27% larger (N50,238,596,196.

00) than the approved 2023 budget earlier approved by the House.

The approval followed a submission from the Commissioner for Planning and Economic Development, Hon.

Lafia Aliyu Kora Sabi, who said that a service-wide and bottom-up process for the revised budget started since June 2023 — followed by thorough deliberations and reviews of submissions from the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the government by the Central Budget Committee (CBC).

“The pertinent factor governing the selection of projects for execution in the remaining part of the year is the emphasis placed on capital projects that are critical to stimulate the economic activities in the state for inclusive growth and development,” Sabi told the council, adding that special considerations have been made to boost economic activities and improve the living standard of the people.

The cabinet, among other government processes, also approved for Star Sewing Machine Limited, an International firm, to manage the state’s Garment Factory following a long-drawn bidding process involving open tendering in line with relevant laws.

Held Friday evening, the council meeting was chaired by Governor AbdulRazaq, attended by Deputy Governor Kayode Alabi; Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji AbdulKadir Mahe; and all the commissioners.

Chevron continues to partner Nigeria for socio-economic development—MD

Chevron Nigeria says it has continued to make significant investments in Nigeria including generating socio-economic development in several communities across the country in its six decades of operation.

Its Chairman and Managing Director (MD), Mr Rick Kennedy, made this known in a statement on Sunday in commemoration of Nigeria’s 63rd Independence Day.

Kennedy said that the company strove to build lasting relationships to help enable human progress now and into the future.

According to him, Chevron Nigeria has been successful in leading and investing in some major initiatives in the Nigerian oil and gas industry.

“These include the development of the Deep Water Agbami project which has produced over one billion barrels of oil.

“The development of the Escravos Gas Processing facility to enable the reduction of flares and be the largest supplier of on-spec domestic gas in Nigeria.

“Also, the development of the Escravos Gas-to-Liquids facility to reduce gas flaring and produce high quality diesel,” he said.

The MD said also, that Chevron companies in Nigeria had developed and imbibed the Local Nigerian Content development philosophy well before the enactment of the Nigeran Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act (“NOGICD Act”) in April 2010.

He said that Chevron had helped in building the capacities of several Nigerian businesses by providing training, contracts and procurement opportunities to Nigerians on all projects in our operations.

“For the last 10 years, one of the Chevron Nigeria companies, Chevron Nigeria Limited has spent an estimated annual average of $1 billion on Nigerian suppliers and service providers.

“Chevron does all these, not because it is compelled to, but because it is the right thing to do,” Kennedy said.

Also, Chevron Nigeria’s General Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs, Mr Esimaje Brikinn, said that Chevron Nigeria’s focused on helping to engender the development of communities in the Niger Delta.

According to him, this is through the erstwhile Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) a community-driven, participatory partnership model for community engagement pioneered by Chevron Nigeria in 2005.

“Through the GMoU, we provided funds to execute hundreds of projects in the communities where we operate in the Niger Delta region.

“This has led to social investment projects benefitting over 600 communities in the Niger Delta area.

“We will be leveraging our experience with the GMoU in the implementation of the Host Community Development Trust provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act,” Brikinn said. (NAN)