Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has presented a proposed N1.854 trillion budget for 2026 to the state House of Assembly, tagged the Budget of Resilience for Growth and Development, with the two heaviest allocations, works and infrastructure at N533.32 billion and education at N315 billion, signalling where the administration wants its money to speak loudest.
Presenting the estimates to lawmakers, Fubara said the proposed N1,854,248,734,475.76 budget represents a 24.49 percent increase over the adjusted 2025 figure, driven by expected growth in FAAC allocations, derivation revenue and internally generated revenue, which he projected at N487.61 billion, alongside N936.05 billion from FAAC, derivation, VAT and exchange gains, and N382.48 billion from capital receipts including loans, grants and asset sales. Of the total, N413.11 billion is earmarked for recurrent expenditure and N1.405 trillion for capital projects, with N154.77 billion set aside for personnel costs and N15.22 billion for new recruitment, alongside provisions for pensions, gratuities, death benefits and debt servicing. Fubara also proposed a 50 percent increase in overhead spending for ministries, departments and agencies to strengthen their operational capacity immediately after the budget becomes law, and assured workers and retirees that adequate provision has been made to clear outstanding gratuities and death benefits inherited from previous administrations.
Beyond the two largest sectors, healthcare received N105.43 billion, with further allocations of N41.44 billion for the House of Assembly, N30 billion for the judiciary, N19.26 billion for agriculture, N15 billion for power, N8.5 billion for chieftaincy and community development, N7.98 billion for sports, N7 billion for youth development, N6.5 billion for women affairs and N6.61 billion for environment and sustainable development. Fubara said the budget prioritises finishing ongoing road projects, new infrastructure investment, better education and healthcare services, job creation and wider economic opportunity, describing it as a people centred document rather than a simple allocation of funds, one meant to deliver tangible benefit to every ward, local government and resident. At the core of this budget is our commitment to infrastructure development, he said, including new investment, completing ongoing road projects and maintaining existing roads and bridges, alongside an unusually large education allocation meant to reshape the state’s education system for better outcomes, pledging that every kobo would be spent wisely to deliver services, attract investment, create jobs and give residents room to flourish.
Acknowledging that the budget arrived later than expected, Fubara appealed to lawmakers to give it speedy consideration to enable timely implementation. Speaker Martin Amaewhule, responding, acknowledged the delay but assured the governor that the legislature would expedite its review in the interest of Rivers residents, commending Fubara for a budget he said adequately addresses every sector of the state’s economy and pledging that Assembly members would work diligently toward its swift passage.
