President Buhari presenting the 2018 budget to the National Assembly

Budget size: N8.612 trillion (16 % higher than 2017 estimates)

Assumptions, projections

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• Benchmark crude oil price-US$45 per barrel
• Oil production estimate – 2.3 million barrels per day
• Exchange rate – N305/US$ for 2018
• Real GDP growth of 3.5 per cent
• Inflation Rate of 12.4 per cent

Expenditure Estimates

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The proposed aggregate expenditure of N 8.612 trillion (16 per cent above 2017 budget estimate)

will comprise

• Recurrent Costs of N3.494 trillion
• Debt Service of N2.014 trillion
• Statutory Transfers of about N456 billion
• Sinking Fund of N220 billion (to retire maturing bond to local contractors)
• Capital Expenditure of N2.428 trillion (excluding the capital component of statutory transfers).

Recurrent Expenditure

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A substantial part of the recurrent cost proposal for 2018 is for the payment of salaries and overheads in key ministries providing critical public services such as:

• N510.87 billion for Interior
• N435.01 billion for Education
• N422.43 billion for Defence
• N269.34 billion for Health

Capital Expenditure

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Key capital spending allocations in the 2018 Budget include:

• Power, Works and Housing: N555.88 billion
• Transportation: N263.10 billion
• Special Intervention Programmes: N150.00 billion
• Defence: N145.00 billion
• Agriculture and Rural Development N118.98 billion
• Water Resources: N95.11 billion
• Industry, Trade and Investment: N82.92 billion
• Interior: N63.26 billion
• Education N61.73 billion
• Universal Basic Education Commission: N109.06 billion
• Health: N71.11 billion
• Federal Capital Territory: N40.30 billion
• Zonal Intervention Projects N100.00 billion
• North East Intervention Fund N45.00 billion
• Niger Delta Ministry: N53.89 billion
• Niger Delta Development Commission: N71.20 billion.

Key projects and programmes to be implemented in 2018:

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• N9.8 billion for the Mambilla hydro power project, including N8.5 billion as counterpart

funding

• N12 billion counterpart funding for earmarked transmission lines and substations
• N35.41 billion for the National Housing Programme
• N10.00 billion for the 2nd Niger Bridge
• About N300 billion for the construction and rehabilitation of strategic roads

Regional Spending Priorities for Peace, Security and Development

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• N65 billion for the Presidential Amnesty Programme has been retained in the 2018 Budget
• Capital provision for the Ministry of Niger Delta increased to N53.89 billion from the N34.20 billion provided in 2017
• Completion of East-West Road, with a provision of about N17.32 billion in 2018 (NAN)