Gov Okpebholo Presents N939.85 billion to State Assembly

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By Clifford Agbajor, Benin City

Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo has presented a proposed N939.85 billion budget christened “Budget of Hope and Growth” to the state house of assembly for consideration.

He said the 2026 Appropriation Bill comprises N637 billion for capital expenditure (68 per cent) and N302 billion for recurrent expenditure (32 per cent).

The governor who presented the budget proposal yesterday, said the appropriation bill is so named as it is meant to consolidate on the gains recorded in his first year in office, expand development efforts, and restore the confidence of Edo people in governance.

“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.

“Edo State will continue to prioritise capital projects such as roads, schools, hospitals, water supply, housing and economic ventures. Our people want real development they can see and feel,” he said.

Okpebholo stated that the budget would be funded through Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of N160 billion, federal allocations of N480 billion, capital receipts and grants of N153 billion, Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) of N146 billion, as well as other revenue sources available to the state.

He, however, assured that his administration would not impose unnecessary financial pressure on citizens, but would instead strengthen systems and block revenue leak ages.

A breakdown of the budget estimates shows that the economic sector carries the lion’s share, with an allocation of N614.2 billion, covering agriculture, roads, transport, urban development and energy.

The budget also allocated N157.7 billion to the administrative sector, N148.9 billion to the social sector, and N19 billion to the justice sector.

According to the governor, the 2026 Budget of Hope and Growth is anchored on our SHINE Agenda, which has five pillars: Security, Health, Infrastructure, Natural Resources/Agriculture, and Education.

“The vision of the 2026 Budget of Hope and Growth is simple: to create prosperity and a united Edo State where every citizen has hope and every community feels the impact of governance.”