2018 budget: Buhari Live at the National Assembly. Proposes N8.612trn

President Muhammadu Buhari was live at the National Assembly Abuja on Tuesday, the 7th day of November 2017 to present the  2018 Appropriation bill to a joint session of the National Assembly members.

The budget which he explained to be budget that will drive rapid economic recovery was benchmark at $40 per barrel and on official exchange rate of N305 to a dollar.

While addressing the law makers  he numerated some of the achievements made by his administration.

 “With the economic recovery made so far, it is clear that we made the right decisions. “And I urge you all to support the Federal Government’s policies towards economic recovery,’’

Buhari said that the government would continue to develop infrastructure and increase investments in agriculture to attain food security and reduce importation. He added that while the Federal Government was committed to identifying alternative means of funding new projects, there was need to continue to pursue public private partnership, to provide more infrastructure in the country.

According to him, the Federal Government has been able to construct or rehabilitate about 776-kilometer roads in 2017. The president said that the construction of Abuja metroline had attained 98 per cent completion, adding that work had commenced on the Ajaouta-Itakpe rail line which was abandoned for 17 years. He said that the project would be delivered in September 2018, adding that the country’s power sector would witness a turn around.

“The power sector reform is still working in progress as we have increased power generation but we still have some challenges in transmission and distribution network,’’ Buhari said. He added that the Federal Government was committed to green alternative energy.