Governor Peter Mbah has presented a ₦1.62 trillion appropriation bill to the Enugu State House of Assembly for the 2026 fiscal year, marking the state’s most ambitious budget yet and signalling his administration’s determination to scale up development gains recorded over the past two years. The budget proposal, themed “Budget of Renewed Momentum,” reflects a 66.5% increase from the ₦971 billion budget for 2025, underscoring a strategic push to deepen reforms and infrastructure expansion across the state.

While addressing lawmakers in Enugu on Tuesday, Mbah said the stepped-up fiscal proposal was essential for sustaining the pace of transformation already visible across key sectors. According to him, the substantial increase demonstrates the government’s resolve to invest heavily in human capital development, modern infrastructure, productive sectors of the economy, and governance systems capable of supporting long-term growth.

Capital Expenditure Dominates 2026 Spending Plan

A major highlight of the 2026 proposal is the allocation structure, which overwhelmingly favours capital investment. Governor Mbah disclosed that ₦321 billion—representing 20% of the entire budget—has been set aside for recurrent expenditure, covering personnel, overheads, and general administration.

In contrast, a significantly larger ₦1.29 trillion is dedicated to capital expenditure, reaffirming the administration’s commitment to transformative, long-term projects. Mbah explained that the budget is anchored on four core pillars that shape his administration’s development philosophy:

1. Empowerment and Education

2. Inclusive and People-Centred Development

3. Good Governance

4. Economic Transformation

“These pillars form the bedrock of our development agenda and will guide how every naira in this budget is deployed,” the governor told the Assembly, noting that the strategy is designed to accelerate economic expansion, reduce poverty, and enhance overall quality of life.

Funding Structure and Revenue Projections

The government anticipates a robust revenue outlook in 2026, anchored on improved efficiency in internal revenue collection and ongoing federal allocations. To fund the ₦1.62 trillion package, the administration projects:

• ₦870 billion from Internally Generated Revenue (IGR)

• ₦387 billion from Federal Allocation

• ₦329 billion from capital receipts, including loans, grants, and investment inflows

Mbah expressed confidence that ongoing reforms in revenue automation, digital governance, and private-sector partnerships will strengthen the state’s capacity to meet these targets.

Sectoral Allocations Prioritise Infrastructure and Social Development

According to the governor, the economic sector received the largest share of the budget, with an allocation of ₦825 billion. This funding will support critical infrastructure projects, agricultural development programmes, industrial parks, transportation networks, and initiatives to promote investment.

The social sector—covering education, healthcare, social welfare, and other human capital programmes—received ₦644 billion, reflecting the administration’s emphasis on building a skilled and healthy population capable of driving the state’s transformation agenda.

Other allocations include:

• Administration: ₦128 billion

• Law and Justice: ₦15 billion

• Regional Sector: ₦2 billion

2025 Budget Performance Reaches 83%

Governor Mbah also gave an update on the implementation of the 2025 budget, revealing a performance level of 83%. He noted that as the year wraps up, this figure is expected to rise further as ongoing projects approach completion.

Assembly Pledges Full Support

Responding to the presentation, the Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Chief Uche Ugwu, praised the governor for what he described as an impressive track record of achievements in just two years. He assured the executive of the legislature’s cooperation and promised accelerated consideration of the 2026 appropriation bill.

“We remain committed to giving this budget the priority attention it deserves so that the developmental objectives of this administration can be realised,” Ugwu stated.

Strategic Economic Moves Ahead

This budget presentation comes months after the state government signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Lion Business Park Limited to establish a modern industrial and commercial hub within the Enugu Industrial Park Free Trade Zone. The initiative aims to raise the state’s GDP dramatically—from $4.4 billion to $30 billion—by stimulating innovation, industrial growth, employment, and regional competitiveness.

Governor Mbah reiterated that the 2026 budget is crafted to sustain this growth trajectory, foster shared prosperity, and entrench Enugu State as an emerging economic powerhouse in the South-East and Nigeria at large.

Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, on Monday laid before the Kaduna State House of Assembly a N985.9 billion Appropriation Bill for the 2026 fiscal year, describing it as one of the most people-focused and development-driven budgets the state has ever produced. The proposed spending plan—nearly N200 billion higher than the N790 billion budget for 2025—seeks to consolidate gains in security, infrastructure, education, healthcare, and rural development while deepening inclusive governance across all local government areas.

Presenting the budget at the historic Lugard Hall in Kaduna, the Governor emphasized that the exercise was far more than a constitutional obligation. It was, according to him, “a solemn civic engagement anchored on transparency, equity, accountability, and the welfare of every resident of Kaduna State.” He added that the 2026 proposal embodies renewal, resilience, and a far-reaching vision for progress in every home, ward, and community.

A Budget Built on Unprecedented Consultations

Governor Sani disclosed that the 2026 draft budget went through one of the broadest multi-level consultative processes ever implemented in Kaduna State. Stakeholders who shaped the fiscal plan included traditional rulers, civil society groups, women and youth associations, academics, business leaders, religious leaders, and vulnerable groups such as persons with disabilities and widows.

Engagements were conducted across all 23 local government areas, ensuring that grassroots concerns—from farmers to artisans, traders, teachers, and rural households—were directly reflected in the final document. The Governor said this approach strengthens participatory democracy and gives citizens a stronger sense of ownership over the state’s development priorities.

Budget Structure and Sectoral Allocation

The Appropriation Bill forecasts N734.2 billion in recurrent revenue and N251.6 billion in capital receipts. In line with the administration’s focus on long-term development, capital expenditure accounts for 71% of the total budget.

Sectoral allocations include:

• Education – 25%

• Infrastructure – 25%

• Health – 15%

• Agriculture – 11%

• Security – 6%

• Social Development – 5%

• Governance – 5%

• Climate Action – 4%

As part of its community empowerment and grassroots development strategy, the government earmarked N100 million for each of Kaduna’s 255 wards under the Ward Development Committee initiative. Sani described it as the largest grassroots budgeting model in Nigeria, enabling communities to identify and execute projects that directly address their most urgent needs.

Review of 2025: Achievements Despite Headwinds

Governor Sani highlighted several notable achievements in the 2025 fiscal year, despite economic challenges, fluctuating federal allocations, and significant security concerns.

In the area of security, he said Kaduna had made measurable progress in combating banditry, kidnapping, and communal tensions. Many previously unsafe farmlands and schools were reopened, and peacebuilding interventions under the Kaduna Peace Model helped restore stability across volatile hotspots.

Infrastructure development also accelerated. The state is currently executing 140 road projects spanning 1,335 kilometers, with 64 already completed. These new roads have begun unlocking economic corridors and reconnecting rural communities neglected for decades.

The transport sector recorded major reforms, including:

• The upcoming Kaduna Bus Rapid Transit (KBRT) system—Northern Nigeria’s first—featuring CNG-powered buses and digital ticketing.

• An interstate bus terminal in Kakuri (75% completed).

• A subsidised transport scheme that has saved residents over N500 million.

• Continued progress on the Kaduna Light Rail Project, with Phase I covering Rigachikun–Sabon Tasha and Phase II connecting Millennium City–Rigasa.

• Construction of new bus parks across the metropolis.

Agriculture and Food Security Gains

Agricultural investments surged from N1.4 billion in 2023 to N74.2 billion in 2025, enabling large-scale recovery of over 500,000 hectares of abandoned farmland. Farmers also benefited from expanded irrigation support, livestock vaccination campaigns, mechanisation programmes, seed distribution, and more than 900 truckloads of free fertiliser.

The Governor highlighted the state’s participation in the $510 million AfDB-supported Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone, which positions Kaduna as a leading agro-industrial centre in West Africa.

Education and Health: Central Pillars of Human Capital Development

The administration recorded significant strides in education. In 2025 alone:

• 535 schools were reopened,

• 300,000 out-of-school children returned to classrooms,

• 736 new classrooms were built,

• 1,220 classrooms were renovated,

• Over 33,000 teachers received training, and

• New bilingual and vocational schools were established.

In the health sector, all 255 Primary Healthcare Centres were upgraded to Level 2 status, while 15 general hospitals were renovated and five more completed. The state also commissioned the 300-bed Bola Tinubu Specialist Hospital and implemented the CONMESS and CONHESS wage structures. Additional investments went into emergency response systems, oxygen plants, digital medical warehousing, and a N1 billion health insurance subsidy for vulnerable families.

Assembly Commends Proposal

Responding on behalf of the legislature, Speaker Yusuf Liman praised the budget as ambitious, comprehensive, and development-focused. He commended the Governor for empowering lawmakers with greater involvement in constituency projects—a first in Kaduna’s political history—and promised a thorough and transparent review process.

He assured residents that the Assembly would work harmoniously with the Executive to fast-track reforms and ensure balanced, statewide development.