Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has signed the 2026 Appropriation Bill into law, reaffirming his administration’s resolve to deepen the sweeping transformations recorded across all sectors of the state’s economy.
Signing the bill at the Executive Chamber, Government House, Enugu, on Wednesday, Mbah commended members of the Enugu State House of Assembly for the speed and diligence with which they considered and passed the budget.
He assured that implementation would commence immediately.
Of the N1.62 trillion budget, N1.296 trillion—representing 80 per cent—was earmarked for capital expenditure, while N321.3 billion, or 20 per cent, was allocated to recurrent spending.
The allocation sustains the administration’s capital-heavy budgeting pattern, following the 2024 budget with 79 per cent capital and 21 per cent recurrent expenditure, and the 2025 budget with 86 per cent capital and 14 per cent recurrent expenditure.
A sectoral breakdown shows that the Economic Sector leads with N825.9 billion, accounting for 51 per cent of the total budget. The Social Sector follows with N644.7 billion, or 40.1 per cent, while the Administration, Justice and Regional sectors received N128 billion, N15.8 billion and N2 billion, respectively.
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Education received the largest share at 32.27 per cent, including N30 billion for the schools feeding programme across the 260 Smart Green Schools, sustaining the administration’s policy of allocating over 30 per cent of the budget to education, as seen in 2024 and 2025.
Funding for the budget is projected to come from N870 billion in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), N387 billion from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), and N329 billion from capital receipts.
Mbah said the 2026 budget was anchored on inclusivity, accountability, transparency, traceability and strong institutions to ensure value for money in public spending.
He described the N870 billion IGR target as achievable, stressing that it would require discipline, innovation and sustained hard work.
The governor recalled that the administration inherited an annual IGR of below N30 billion in 2023, grew it to over N180 billion in 2024, and scaled it to N400 billion in 2025.
“We will be ending 2025 with an IGR of N400 billion, which represents more than 83 per cent of our projected domestic revenue of N507 billion for the year,” he said.
Mbah expressed confidence that the state would not only meet but exceed its projected domestic revenue of over N800 billion in 2026, citing the unlocking of multiple economic opportunities across the state.
He said the long-term goal was to make Enugu’s FAAC receipts a reserve rather than a lifeline.
“If you look at the ratio of our expected federal allocation, it is barely 27 to 28 per cent. If we realise our 2026 revenue projections, we can effectively run Enugu State without recourse to FAAC. Federal allocation can then be saved for future generations and rainy days,” he stated.
The governor cautioned that the ambitious revenue target would not materialise without sacrifice, warning appointees against complacency during the festive period.
“We are projecting over N800 billion in IGR. That means generating more than N70 billion monthly, over N18 billion weekly, and above N2.5 billion daily. We do not have the luxury of wasting a single day,” he said, adding that the administration was prepared to forgo the Christmas break to secure the state’s future.
Earlier, Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon. Uchenna Ugwu, said early engagement between the executive and legislature made the budget process seamless and people-focused.
He said residents should expect major infrastructure projects in 2026, including extensive road construction, the 135.5-kilometre rail project, acquisition of additional aircraft, new transport terminals, Smart Secondary Schools, and the completion of the 260 farm estates.
