2025 Budget: Enugu Govt. Plans to Spend ₦10 Billion on CCTV Cameras, ₦5 Billion on Vehicles

The Enugu State Government has planned to spend ₦10 billion in 2025 on installing CCTV cameras across the state. The government said the cameras will be installed at bus stops, busy junctions, and highways. They will be equipped with searchlights and linked to a central monitoring system to enhance coordination.

During the breakdown of the state’s ₦971.08 billion budget, Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Chief Chris-Roberts Ozongwu, disclosed that ₦837.94 billion is for capital projects, while ₦133.14 billion is allocated for recurrent expenses. Governor Peter Mbah had presented the budget proposal to the State House Assembly on November 26, 2024. This proposal is an 86.2 per cent increase over the revised 2024 budget of ₦521.5 billion and the largest presented by an Enugu State governor.

Following the budget’s presentation, critics have pointed out that substantial funds are being directed toward non-essential projects, instead of addressing pressing needs such as water supply and critical infrastructure.

In addition to the CCTV project, the government plans to spend ₦5 billion on official and security vehicles and ₦1 billion to upgrade the Enugu State Security Outfit. This includes training personnel, retraining existing staff, and acquiring vehicles for enhanced monitoring.

While the government is also investing in agriculture, concerns remain about the prioritisation of spending. A significant ₦20 billion has been allocated for purchasing 1,000 tractors and farming tools, and ₦52.5 billion will be used to develop 100,000 hectares of land for three Special Crop Processing Zones. Other planned investments include ₦1 billion to revive a tractor leasing company and ₦2 billion to build farm estates.

Many residents have questioned the allocation of resources, arguing that the state should prioritise essentials like clean water, road repairs, and health facilities before committing large sums to projects such as surveillance cameras and mechanised farming. The proposal also sparked debates over the performance of Enugu’s 2024 revised budget. Several projects enlisted in the past budget remain incomplete.

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