Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State on Tuesday presented a monumental N1.62 Trillion budget proposal to the State House of Assembly, signaling an aggressive push for rapid development backed by a significant investment in hi-tech security infrastructure.
Dubbed the “Budget of Renewed Momentum” for the 2026 fiscal year, the estimate represents a 66.5 per cent increase over the previous year’s revised budget, underscoring the administration’s commitment to achieving its target of seven-fold GDP growth.
The budget is heavily tilted towards capital expenditure, a deliberate strategy by the Mbah administration to accelerate infrastructural development.
- Capital Expenditure (CapEx): N1.296 trillion (80% of the total budget)
- Recurrent Expenditure: N321 billion (20% of the total budget)
The Governor stated that the budget would be funded primarily by a projected N870 billion in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR)—the highest in the state’s history—supported by N387 billion from the Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) and N329 billion in capital receipts.
The Economic Sector received the largest share, N825.9 billion (51 per cent), reflecting a focus on infrastructure, agriculture, and industrial growth. The Social Sector followed with N644.7 billion (40.1 per cent).
Education remains a flagship priority, allocated the lion’s share of the social sector at 32.27 per cent of the total budget—far exceeding the UNESCO recommended benchmark. Funds will be directed toward completing 260 Smart Green Schools and building new Smart Secondary Schools and Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) Colleges.
Key infrastructural projects highlighted in the budget include:
- The construction of 1,200 urban roads and a significant number of rural roads.
- The completion of major dual carriageway projects, including the Owo-Ubahu-Amankanu-Neke-Ikem and the Abakpa Nike – Ugwogo Nike – Ekwegbe – Opi-Nsukka roads.
- Acquisition of 14 additional aircraft to bring the Enugu Air fleet to 20.
- Setting aside 15 per cent of the budget for providing 15,000 mass housing units.
In a separate but related move designed to protect these economic investments, Governor Mbah simultaneously commissioned advanced security equipment procured by the Enugu State Security Trust Fund (ESSTF).
The new arsenal includes:
- Two Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) Drones with a 100km range, thermal cameras, and AI-enabled tracking capabilities.
- 10 Hilux patrol vehicles (4×4) and 40 motorcycles.
- 400 bulletproof vests and 400 bulletproof helmets.
The new equipment complements existing investments, such as the state-of-the-art Command and Control Centre and AI-enabled surveillance cameras across the state.
The Governor assured residents that the massive investment in security had already yielded results, claiming that violent crimes have been reduced by over 80% in the state. He emphasized that continuous investment is necessary to prevent criminals from exploiting security lapses, stating, “The security challenges we are having are local, and at the state level, we must also play our own role to ensure our localities are safe.”
Reviewing the preceding fiscal year, Governor Mbah disclosed a robust 83 per cent implementation rate of the 2025 budget. He praised the success of internal reforms, noting that the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) is set to exceed N400 billion by the end of the year—a 221.6% increase over 2024 figures.
He also commended the economic policies of the Federal Government, which he credited with boosting FAAC inflows by over 50% above projections.
