Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, on Tuesday presented a ₦939.85 billion 2026 Appropriation Bill, tagged Budget of Hope and Growth, to the Edo State House of Assembly.
Presenting the budget, the governor said the 2026 fiscal plan was designed to consolidate the achievements of the 2025 budget while expanding the impact of government programmes across critical sectors of the state’s economy.
Okpebholo said the budget prioritises security, infrastructure, agriculture, education, job creation and healthcare, noting that his administration is committed to delivering development that will have a direct and visible impact on the lives of Edo residents.
A breakdown of the proposal shows that capital expenditure stands at ₦637 billion, representing 68 per cent of the total budget, while recurrent expenditure is pegged at ₦302 billion, accounting for 32 per cent.
According to the governor, the emphasis on capital spending reflects the administration’s determination to accelerate development through strategic investments in roads, schools, hospitals, water supply, housing and other high-impact projects across the state.
He said the budget would be funded through Internally Generated Revenue estimated at ₦160 billion, Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) receipts projected at ₦480 billion, capital receipts and grants of ₦153 billion, ₦146 billion from Public-Private Partnerships, and other revenue sources available to the state.
Okpebholo assured residents that the government would not impose unnecessary financial burdens on citizens, stressing that efforts would instead be focused on strengthening revenue systems, blocking leakages and improving public finance management.
Under sectoral allocation, the economic sector received the largest share, with ₦614.2 billion earmarked for agriculture, roads, transport, urban development and energy. Key projects include rural and urban road construction, completion of two flyovers, drainage works, urban renewal initiatives, and the expansion of farm estates and irrigation facilities.
The social sector was allocated ₦148.9 billion for education, healthcare, youth development, women’s affairs and social welfare. Planned interventions include school renovations, recruitment and training of teachers, expansion of healthcare facilities, and investments in youth skills and entrepreneurship programmes.
For governance and service delivery, the administration sector received ₦157.7 billion to support civil service reforms, staff training, digital transformation, improved revenue collection systems and full deployment of e-governance platforms.
The justice sector was allocated ₦19 billion to strengthen courts, improve justice delivery and support legal reforms, while funds were also set aside for regional development, grassroots empowerment, rural electrification, water and sanitation projects, and security outposts in border communities.
The governor said the 2026 budget is anchored on his administration’s SHINE Agenda, which focuses on security, health, infrastructure, natural resources and agriculture, and education.
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Reflecting on the 2025 fiscal year, Okpebholo said the budget recorded strong performance, driven by improved revenue collection and achievements in security, infrastructure, healthcare, agriculture and education.
He highlighted measures taken to address insecurity, including the enactment of a stronger anti-cultism law, procurement of patrol vehicles and motorcycles for security agencies, and the recruitment of 2,500 personnel into the Edo State Security Corps.
On healthcare, the governor said his administration is constructing new primary healthcare centres, providing diagnostic equipment and building a 150-bed specialist hospital in Edo Central Senatorial District.
He also outlined ongoing infrastructure projects, including the award of 28 new road contracts covering 255 kilometres and the construction of two flyovers in Benin City.
In agriculture, Okpebholo said the sector’s budget was increased significantly, with hundreds of hectares of farmland already cultivated across several farm clusters.
On education, he said the government recruited 5,000 teachers, upgraded 63 schools, and increased monthly subventions to Ambrose Alli University and Edo State University, Iyamoh.