Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, on Friday presented a proposed ₦1.854 trillion Appropriation Bill for the 2026 fiscal year to the Rivers State House of Assembly, with infrastructure, education and healthcare taking the largest share of the spending plan.
Presenting the proposal, christened “Budget of Resilience for Growth and Development,” the governor said the estimates were designed to consolidate his administration’s achievements, sustain economic growth, improve public service delivery and enhance the welfare of Rivers people.
Fubara explained that the proposed budget of ₦1,854,248,734,475.76 represents a 24.49 per cent increase over the adjusted 2025 budget, driven by anticipated growth in internally generated revenue (IGR), Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) receipts and derivation revenue.
He projected ₦487.61 billion from IGR, ₦936.05 billion from FAAC allocations, derivation funds, Value Added Tax (VAT) and exchange gains, while ₦382.48 billion is expected from capital receipts, including grants, loans and asset sales.
The governor proposed ₦413.11 billion for recurrent expenditure and ₦1.405 trillion for capital projects, reflecting his administration’s focus on expanding infrastructure and accelerating development across the state.
According to him, ₦154.77 billion has been allocated for personnel costs, while ₦15.22 billion is set aside for the recruitment of new workers. Provisions were also made for pensions, gratuities, death benefits and debt servicing.
Fubara further announced a 50 per cent increase in overhead allocations for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to strengthen their operational efficiency immediately after the budget is signed into law.
He assured workers and retirees that adequate funding had been provided to settle outstanding gratuities and death benefits inherited from previous administrations.
Under the capital budget, the Works and Infrastructure sector received the highest allocation of ₦533.32 billion, followed by Education with ₦315 billion and Healthcare with ₦105.43 billion.
Other key allocations include ₦41.44 billion for the Rivers State House of Assembly, ₦30 billion for the Judiciary, ₦19.26 billion for Agriculture, ₦15 billion for Power, ₦8.5 billion for Chieftaincy and Community Development, ₦7.98 billion for Sports, ₦7 billion for Youth Development, ₦6.61 billion for Environment and Sustainable Development, and ₦6.5 billion for Women Affairs.
The governor said the budget would support the completion of ongoing road projects, finance new infrastructure, improve education and healthcare services, create jobs and stimulate inclusive economic growth across the state.
While acknowledging the delayed presentation of the appropriation bill, Fubara appealed to lawmakers to give it expedited consideration to ensure prompt implementation.
Responding, Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule, assured the governor that the Assembly would fast-track legislative action on the proposal.
Amaewhule described the budget as comprehensive and responsive to the developmental needs of the state, pledging that lawmakers would give it speedy consideration and passage in the interest of the people of Rivers State.This version removes repetition, improves flow, and follows a standard newspaper inverted-pyramid style while retaining all the key figures and policy highlights.
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