Governor Alex Otti of Abia State and his Delta State counterpart, Sheriff Oborevwori, yesterday, presented to their state Assemblies the 2026 budget proposals.

Otti proposed a total of N1.01 trillion budget estimates for the 2026 fiscal year, tagging it “Budget of Acceleration and New Possibilities.” The Speaker of the House, Emmanuel Emeruwa, on behalf of the lawmakers, assured the governor that the state Assembly will do the needful to enable the governor to consolidate on the gains his administration has recorded within the past two years.

This proposed 2026 budget, which is 13 per cent higher than the 2025 figure, comprises Capital and Recurrent expenditures of N811.8 billion (80 per cent) and N204.4 billion (20 per cent), respectively.

The Capital allocation is 32 per cent higher than that of 2025, while the recurrent one also increased by 33 per cent. The governor explained that the Capital allocation increase in 2026 underscores his administration’s focus on infrastructure expansion and economic transformation, while the recurrent allocation increase is intended to accommodate essential administrative operations.

Otti reaffirmed that his administration would sustain commitment to accountable governance, indicating that he will release the full 2025 budget performance report by the end of the year.

Giving the proposed 2026 budget breakdown, the governor said that the Education and Health sectors will gulp 35 per cent of it, and that N150 billion will go to offsetting recurrent expenditure, including paying the salaries of about 15,000 teachers working in both primary and secondary schools.

He added that provisions were made to build 17 model primary and secondary schools, plus three technical colleges for vocational training programmes.

ALSO, Oborevwori presented a record-breaking N1.664 trillion budget proposal for the 2026 fiscal year to the state House of Assembly, for approval.

The proposal, tagged “Budget of Accelerating the More Agenda,” represents a whopping N685 billion (70 per cent) increase over the 2025 appropriation.

According to the governor, the budget comprises N499 billion (30 per cent) for recurrent expenditure and N1.165 trillion (70 per cent) for capital expenditure, a ratio the administration insists reflects its infrastructure-driven development strategy.

The Ministry of Works, split between Urban Highways and Rural/Riverine Roads, is the biggest winner, receiving N450 billion, roughly 27 per cent of the entire budget. Oborevwori noted that the allocation underscores his determination to “accelerate infrastructure renewal.”

In the budget, the governor earmarked N105.086 billion for the education sector, maintaining that the state will “continue to prioritise qualitative and functional education,” while the Ministry of Health is set to receive N50.067 billion.

Social protection programmes will receive N20 billion, while the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources gets N10 billion. Oborevwori painted a bright economic outlook, projecting 3.9 per cent Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in 2026, driven by oil revenue recovery, stable fiscal and monetary policies, and improved foreign investment.