2027 Budget: C-River Proposes ₦4.7bn For Women Affairs

CALABAR – The Cross River State Government has proposed ₦4.7 billion for the Ministry of Women Affairs in its 2027 budget estimates, an allocation that could support programmes addressing women’s welfare, gender-based violence and gender equality.

Governor Bassey Otu disclosed the figure in the sectoral allocation list of his 2027 budget speech, which proposed a total expenditure of approximately ₦987.8 billion for the state.

The allocation places Women Affairs among the sectors listed for funding in the proposed budget, alongside education, health, infrastructure and other government priorities.

The budget speech listed ₦4.7 billion for Women Affairs but did not provide a detailed breakdown of the ministry’s proposed spending on specific programmes, including gender-based violence prevention, survivor support or women’s economic empowerment.

The extent to which the allocation will strengthen these interventions will depend on the final approved budget, the ministry’s spending priorities and the release of funds for implementation.

With gender-based violence prevention and survivor support requiring sustained institutional and community action, the allocation raises questions about the resources available for public awareness, referrals, support services and coordination among relevant agencies.

The proposed funding also creates an opportunity to assess how the ministry will translate its budget into measurable outcomes for women and girls across the state’s 18 local government areas.

The 2027 estimates remain subject to legislative consideration and approval. The budget speech did not specify how much of the ₦4.7 billion would go directly to gender-based violence prevention or other individual women-focused programmes.