₦airaland Forum

Governor Peter Mbah on Tuesday presented the Enugu State 2026 Budget Estimates to the House of Assembly, proposing a total expenditure of approximately ₦1.62 trillion for the 2026 fiscal year. The governor described the proposal as a budget designed to consolidate ongoing gains, accelerate growth, and deliver development at full scale across the state.

The proposed budget represents a 66.5 percent increase over the 2025 fiscal year. Mbah said the expansion reflects the momentum of the state’s transformation programme and the administration’s resolve to sustain and deepen reforms initiated over the past two years.

According to the governor, the state expects to generate ₦870 billion in internally generated revenue, ₦387 billion from FAAC, and ₦329 billion in capital receipts. He noted that these projections are grounded in real revenue performance and supported by new economic engines activated through recent reforms.

A major feature of the proposal is the allocation of 80 percent of total expenditure to capital projects, with 20 percent earmarked for recurrent spending. Mbah said the distribution underscores his commitment to development-focused governance, ensuring that investments continue to target roads, schools, hospitals, water infrastructure, transport systems, digital platforms, and other productive assets.

The education sector again received the largest share of the budget, taking more than 30 percent for the second consecutive year. The governor said the funds would support the expansion of the Smart Schools initiative, the rollout of Smart Secondary Schools, and the strengthening of technical and vocational institutions to prepare young people for an innovation-driven future.

The health sector is allocated 10 percent of the budget, which will fund the completion of 260 Type-2 Primary Healthcare Centres, the upgrade of 51 secondary health facilities, the 300-bed Enugu International Hospital, and ongoing reforms at Parklane. Mbah reiterated that the administration’s goal is to ensure equitable access to quality healthcare across the state.

Infrastructure and transportation are also set for major expansion in 2026. The budget provides for extensive urban and rural road construction and rehabilitation, new transport terminals, an expanded taxi fleet, and increased capacity for Enugu Air as a regional connector. The governor said these investments are aimed at improving mobility, opening markets, and supporting commerce.

Agriculture will receive significant attention, with all 260 Farm Estates nearing completion and scheduled to be equipped with warehouses, irrigation systems, tractor sheds, and dedicated energy sources to support mechanised farming and agro-processing. According to the governor, the initiative is expected to boost food production, strengthen rural economies, and create thousands of jobs.

The tourism sector is positioned for growth through ongoing upgrades at Awhum, Okpatu, Nsude, Ngwo, and Akwuke, transforming them into world-class attractions capable of drawing up to three million visitors annually. The housing sector, which received more than 15 percent of the budget, will support the delivery of 15,000 mass housing units next year as part of the administration’s 30,000-unit plan. The New Enugu Smart City is expected to come fully onstream after its infrastructure is completed in 2026, with a projected economic impact of over ₦300 billion.

On security, Mbah announced expanded investments in surveillance and intelligence systems to strengthen coverage across more local government areas. He emphasised that security remains the foundation of the state’s development agenda.

The governor also acknowledged the role of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration in promoting fiscal reforms, national infrastructure programmes, and security collaboration that support subnational development.

RevenuesBoost:
They were they make budgets in this country eh!

It's billions and trillions or nothing.

Million is now insignificant.

MartinCorridon:
Even if they present 10 trillion dollar budget.....

SW will ALWAYS be preferable to Heaven for them. Only the po0r, hungry and h0pe less stay there. They prefer their Heaven to even USA

tobenuel:
you have said nothing so far

ExudeLoveToAll:
Omo una na first for bigots for the whole Nigeria beor hausa then Igbos..As a matter of fact these three so called major ethnic groups in Nigeria is the actual problem of this country. We go soon expel of una

These hatred and evil is getting out of hands

emkz:
I think those presenting budget should first come and tell us how the past budget performed.

What was budgeted and what was allocated?

In my view, we around have a tradition of legislative and state review. Three months before presenting a new budget, let state executives present their projects and how they utilized the budgets.

The ritual of budget presentation is getting state. We remember a governor who presented budgets and called them names like: Budget of Infinite Transposition, Budget of Kinetic Crystallization, Budget of Qabalistic Densification, Budget of Olimpotic Meritemasis, Budget of Blush and Bliss,
Budget of Conjugated Agglutination, but failed to budget for Catastorphic Cannibalism into Failure as he failed to produce budget performance reports and failed as governor.

keemsleek:
It's a lie both tribes banter each other don't take side. That's why I love my south south people. When you see SE banter your hrt will break and remove the North they hardly banter unless it's religion.

JimohMomoh:
Yesterday people could not travel out of Enugu because kidnappers blocked expressway for hours.

RevenuesBoost:
They way they make budgets in this country eh!

It's billions and trillions or nothing.

Million is now insignificant.

EponObi:
Nah millions you wan use budget for an entire state for an entire year. Make una dey think before commenting now. Which way?

keemsleek:
It's a lie both tribes banter each other don't take side. That's why I love my south south people. When you see SE banter your hrt will break and remove the North they hardly banter unless it's religion.

RevenuesBoost:
You that's thinking well, if the budget is made in millions before it's been rounded up, it wouldn't cover right?

Do you know what is 1 billion?

Do you know what 500 million can do?

You can't see what I see, because if you are given the opportunity to do same you'll still get greedy like them.

Host78:
See how everyone is looking serious like they don't know they are just going to loot the money.

It's too comical this country and to see they don't even laugh makes it funnier.

The state is expected to earn a total of 1.6 trillion.

The state will spend exactly that in the new budget.

No savings from it. Even more so, the state will borrow in the next year because it's typical that we will always spend above budget when executing the proposed project.

Aydot99:
Tribes bantering each other is not all that bad, we see it all over the world. But what we have in Nigeria is just pure hatred for each other.

EponObi:
Na 1 billion naira you wan take budget for Enugu state for the whole of 2026? Are you ok?