Yoruba Council Raises 2 Major Concerns as Senate Passes 2025 Budget

• The Yoruba Council Worldwide praised the 2025 budget for addressing key issues like security, agriculture, and education with a fresh approach
• Its president, Hassan, noted that ₦4.9 trillion for security and significant education investments aim to boost safety, foreign investment, others
• Hassan urged local production to stabilize the naira, envisioning a ₦200-to-$1 exchange rate with effective policies

The Yoruba Council Worldwide, led by its President, Barr. Oladotun Hassan has expressed optimism about the recently passed 2025 federal budget, lauding it as a significant step toward national restoration and productivity.

Speaking exclusively with Legit.ng on Saturday, December 21, Hassan described the budget as a break from the past, emphasizing its focus on security, infrastructure, and economic recovery.

Hassan commended the 2025 budget for being innovative and targeted.

“This is almost the first time our budget is not a copy-and-paste budget. It’s not a budget of spoons for the presidency or shoes for the wife of the president,” Hassan remarked.

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He emphasized that the budget addresses pressing security, agriculture, and education issues.

"With ₦4.9 trillion allocated to security, Hassan praised the government's focus on equipping and supporting the military and other security agencies.

“Security is fundamental in promoting foreign direct investment and ensuring stability. This allocation will provide advanced technological solutions and motivate our men and women in uniform,” he stated.

Hassan noted that a stable security environment would encourage foreign investment and bolster national development.

The Council President highlighted the significant investments in education, calling it “the bedrock of the nation.”

“For the first time, we are seeing a huge infrastructural commitment to the education sector. This will improve facilities and motivate lecturers, adding immense value to the nation,” Hassan explained.

He also pointed to allocations for health and agriculture, praising the president’s focus on food security and infrastructure as vital components of the nation's recovery.

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YCW raises concerns on economic recovery, naira stability

While appreciating the budget’s emphasis on economic restoration, Hassan raised concerns about the exchange rate and the need for increased local production.

“If we focus on local production and reduce importation, our naira will gain more value. I believe we can achieve a ₦200-to-$1 exchange rate with the right policies,” he said.

Hassan also expressed optimism about Nigeria’s move toward self-sufficiency, especially with the local refining of petroleum products.

El-Rufai's son decries unnecessary budgetary allocations

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Bello El-Rufai, son of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, has raised concerns over repetitive and unnecessary expenditures in government ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs).

Speaking during a House of Representatives session on the 2025 budget, Bello questioned the practice of allocating funds year after year for items like vehicles, furniture, and utensils.

Source: Legit.ng