ABIA – Governor Alex Otti has presented the 2026 Budget Estimate of One Trillion, Sixteen Billion, Two Hundred and Twenty Eight Million, Seventy Two Thousand, Six Hundred and Fifty One Naira, Ninety Nine Kobo, before the House of Assembly for passage with the Health and education sectors gulping 35% of the total budget once again for three consecutive years.
Presenting the budget christened “Budget of Acceleration and new possibilities” Governor Otti said the budget with 13% increase from the 2025 budget, allocated Eight Hundred and Eleven Billion to capital expenditure and Two Hundred and Four Billion, Four Hundred and Fourteen Million Naira to recurrent expenditure representing 80% and 20% of the total budget respectively.
Governor Otti said that the 13% increase from the 2025 appropriation law captured the scale of his administration’s ambition to drive rapid socioeconomic growth and sustained development through investments in infrastructural projects, social services and security.
“A total outlay of ₦811.8 billion for capital projects represents a 32% jump from our 2025 proposal which stood at ₦726.4billion.
“Conversely, the size of the envelope for recurrent expenditure has been raised by 33% from last year’s figure which stood at ₦136 billion. The increase is to enable us support critical day-to-day administrative functions and effectively meet our obligations to personnel especially with the addition of thousands of new employees to the payroll”, Gov. Otti stated
The Governor said that One Hundred and Fifty Billion Naira will be committed to offsetting recurrent expenditure including paying the salaries of about Fifteen Thousand Teachers working in both primary and secondary schools, adding that provisions have equally been made for the building of 17 model primary and secondary schools in addition to 3 technical Colleges for vocational training programmes.
The Governor said that the combined revenue projection from internal and external sources stands at Six Hundred and Seven Billion Naira while the balance of Four Hundred and Nine Billion representing 40% of the entire budget outlay would be sourced from the loan markets at concessionary rates.
He noted that, with the recent strides recorded in infrastructural development and the leap in investors’ confidence, the State projects an increase in the State’s IGR portfolio to ₦223.4 billion and announced that, “the target for 2026 is that all recurrent expenditures shall be funded from the IGR receipt.
“As I announced on this same podium in 2023 and 2024, we shall borrow only when it is absolutely necessary and such funds shall be deployed only for the execution of projects that will ultimately liquidate the loans in medium to long term”, Gov. Otti stated.
He assured that the administration will continue its aggressive road infrastructure development programme as the sum of One Hundred and Sixty Nine Billion representing 16.7% of the total budget has been budgeted for road construction, rehabilitation and maintenance.
The State Chief Executive thanked the Speaker and members of the State House of Assembly for the support given to him in his efforts to improve on the lives of Abians, assuring his commitment to making lives better for the people.
In his remarks, the Speaker, Abia House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Emeruwa, while noting that the event marks a major milestone for the 2026 fiscal year, assured that the 8th Assembly will give the budget accelerated consideration and passage to enable the Governor to improve and consolidate on the gains recorded by his administration in the past two years.
The Deputy Governor, Engr. Ikechukwu Emetu, Secretary to Abia State Government, Prof. Kenneth Kalu, Chief of Staff to the Governor, Pastor Caleb Ajagba, members of the state executive council among other Abians witnessed the budget presentation.
