Edo Governor Monday Okpebholo presents ₦939.85bn 2026 Budget of Hope, focusing on infrastructure, security, healthcare, agriculture, and social development
Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, on Tuesday presented a ₦939.85 billion 2026 Appropriation Bill, named the Budget of Hope and Growth, to the Edo State House of Assembly.
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Okpebholo said the fiscal plan was designed to build on 2025’s achievements while expanding government programmes to directly benefit Edo residents across all sectors of the economy. He highlighted priority areas including security, infrastructure, agriculture, education, job creation, and healthcare, stressing a commitment to “development the people can see and feel.”
The proposed budget allocates ₦637 billion, or 68 per cent, to capital expenditure, and ₦302 billion, or 32 per cent, to recurrent expenditure. Funding sources include ₦160 billion from Internally Generated Revenue, ₦480 billion from Federation Account allocations, ₦153 billion from capital receipts and grants, and ₦146 billion from Public-Private Partnerships.
The economic sector received the largest allocation of ₦614.2 billion, earmarked for agriculture, roads, transport, urban development, and energy projects. Planned interventions include rural and urban road construction, completion of two flyovers, drainage works, urban renewal, and expansion of farm estates and irrigation facilities.
The social sector was assigned ₦148.9 billion for education, healthcare, youth development, women’s affairs, and social welfare. Initiatives include school renovations, recruitment and training of teachers, expansion of primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare facilities, as well as investments in youth skills, sports, and entrepreneurship programmes.
Governance and service delivery were allocated ₦157.7 billion to support civil service reforms, staff training, deployment of digital tools, improved revenue collection systems, and full rollout of e-governance platforms.
The justice sector received ₦19 billion for court strengthening, legal reforms, and access-to-justice programmes, while local government and regional development initiatives focus on grassroots empowerment, community road construction, rural electrification, water and sanitation projects, and security posts in border communities.
Okpebholo said the 2026 budget is anchored on his SHINE Agenda—security, health, infrastructure, natural resources/agriculture, and education—with the overarching goal of creating a prosperous Edo State where citizens feel the impact of governance.
Reflecting on 2025, the governor cited significant progress in capital and recurrent spending, improved revenue collection, and achievements in security, infrastructure, healthcare, agriculture, education, and job creation.
On security, he highlighted the enactment of a stronger anti-cultism law, procurement of 80 Hilux vans and 400 motorcycles, and recruitment of 2,500 officers into the Edo State Security Corps, which he said has reduced insecurity.
Healthcare initiatives include construction of new primary healthcare centres, provision of diagnostic equipment, and a 150-bed specialist hospital in Edo Central Senatorial District. Infrastructure interventions feature 28 new road projects covering 255 kilometres, two flyovers in Benin City, and rehabilitation of critical community roads.
The agriculture sector budget increased from ₦6.9 billion to ₦57 billion, with over 400 hectares cultivated across farm clusters. In education, 5,000 teachers were recruited, 63 schools upgraded, and university subventions significantly increased.
The administration has also created over 10,000 direct and indirect jobs and launched a ₦1 billion interest-free loan scheme for market women and traders.
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Governor Okpebholo expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for reforms boosting state revenues and thanked the Edo State House of Assembly, traditional rulers, faith leaders, political appointees, and civil servants for their support in presenting the 2026 Appropriation Bill for legislative consideration.
