Deborah Akinyosoye
The Edo State governor, Sen. Monday Okpebholo on Tuesday presented a budget proposal of N939, 850, 000, 000, which he tagged Budget of Hope and Growth, saying it would lead to the growth of the economy of the state.
The budget proposal comprised N637b for capital projects, representing 68 per cent of the budget and N302b for recurrent expenditure which is 32 per cent of the budget, saying that his administration would continue to prioritize capital projects such as roads, schools, hospitals, water, housing, and economic projects.
He said the budget would be funded through Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) which is expected to be N160,000,000,000, the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) allocations expected to hit N480,000,000,000.00, expected capital receipts and grants of N153,000,000,000, Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) of N146,000,000,000 and other revenue windows available to the state.
According to the governor, a total of N 614.2 billion is provided for the economic sector which he said includes expenditures on agriculture, roads, transport, urban development, and energy and that priority areas include rural and urban road construction, completion of the two flyovers, drainage works and urban renewal, expansion of farm estates and irrigation, support for markets, small businesses, and industrial clusters.
The social sector he said would get N148.9 billion which would cater for education, health, youth development, women affairs, and social welfare which he said would include “More school renovations, more teacher’s recruitment and training, expansion of primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities, investment in youth skills, sports, and entrepreneurship programs, support for women, children and vulnerable groups.”
Other sectors, according to the governor, include administration, justice sector, regional development and support for local government administration.
The governor said “The 2026 Budget of Hope and Growth is designed to build on the foundation we laid in 2025. It is a budget that speaks to the needs of our people. It focuses on security, infrastructure, agriculture, education, job creation and healthcare.
“We will not impose unnecessary financial pressure on citizens. Instead, we will strengthen systems and block leakages.”
He commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his consistent encouragement and national reforms that has increased revenue flows to all states.