Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State on Tuesday presented a total budget size of ₦884.86 billion to the state House of Assembly, making it the highest in the state’s history.
Presenting the budget, tagged “Budget of Actualisation and Hope,” Nwifuru said that ₦749.49 billion, representing 84.7 per cent of the budget, is allocated to capital projects.
He noted that the 2026 Appropriation Bill projects ₦469.9 billion in revenue from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), representing 53.11 per cent of the state’s total expected revenue for the fiscal year.
Nwifuru said the projected FAAC inflow would be supported by ₦48.77 billion from tax revenue, ₦17.14 billion from domestic grants, and ₦332 billion from the Capital Development Fund, including World Bank–assisted programmes such as SPIN, RAAMP, LPRES, NG-CARES, SABER, IFAD and NEWMAP.
He said the 2026 budget focuses on infrastructure development, industrialisation, agriculture, water supply and human capital growth. Key infrastructure priorities include the VANCO Tunnel and Flyover, Nwofe and Nwezenyi Flyovers, and several township and rural road projects.
The governor said the state would continue work on the Ebonyi Industrial City, a proposed state-owned cement factory and the reactivated Waste-to-Wealth plant.
In the agricultural sector, he listed support for mechanised farming, distribution of modern farm equipment, the revival of the Nkaliki Hatchery, and the development of a large-scale feed mill.
Regarding public utilities, he said the reactivation of water schemes in Oferekpe, Ezillo, and Iboko would improve access to potable water. He also reaffirmed the state’s investments in education, scholarships, free maternal healthcare, and empowerment programmes.
Nwifuru urged the House to give the bill expeditious consideration, promising to implement the budget.
The Appropriation Bill passed its first and second readings.
In his remarks, Speaker of the House, Chief Moses Ije Odunwa, commended the governor’s developmental efforts and said the Assembly would thoroughly examine the budget to ensure it reflects the people’s needs.
He also congratulated the governor on his recent national appointment.
In other news, the General Manager of Ebonyi State Transport Corporation (EBOTRANS), Mrs. Nnenna Igwe, on Monday said the administration of Governor Francis Nwifuru has demonstrated a strong commitment to gender-balanced governance and human capital development, describing it as laudable.
Speaking with Journalists in Abakaliki, Mrs. Igwe extolled the Governor for fostering unprecedented women’s inclusion in leadership across Ebonyi State, adding that such inclusion has shown the value he placed on women.
“His appointment of the first female Deputy Governor, Secretary to the State Government, and her own emergence as the first female General Manager of EBOTRANS should be acknowledged,” she stated.
She further applauded the First Lady, Chief (Mrs.) Mary-Maudline Nwifuru, for her humanitarian work through the BEWO Foundation, acknowledging the recent enrollment of more than 10,000 women into BEWO’s skills acquisition program and the construction of houses for widows, describing the First Lady as a champion for women’s empowerment and social welfare.
