Abia And The Budget Of Accelerated Development And New Possibilities

EBERE UZOUKWA, PhD

The presentation of Abia’s 2026 Appropriation Bill on Tuesday, 25 November 2025, by Governor Alex Otti stands as one of the most defining policy statements of his administration. With a landmark sum of N1.016 trillion, the Budget of Acceleration and New Possibilities signals a bold and deliberate effort to reposition Abia on the path of rapid development, structural transformation and sustained prosperity. It is a budget crafted not for routine governance but for rebuilding, expansion and future shaping.

A central feature of the budget is its unprecedented capital expenditure profile. Governor Otti allocated N811.8 billion, representing 80 percent of the entire budget, to capital projects, a scale that reflects unmistakable intent and strong political will. The recurrent component stands at N204.4 billion or 20 percent, covering expanded personnel obligations and administrative needs. This capital-heavy structure, one of the highest in the country, demonstrates a firm resolve to move Abia permanently from stagnation to productivity.

Education remains at the heart of the governor’s development philosophy. The sector receives N203.2 billion, amounting to 20 percent of the total budget. This allocation will sustain salaries for fifteen thousand teachers, support the construction of seventeen new model schools, establish three technical colleges and upgrade ICT laboratories and staff quarters in more than one hundred schools. Tertiary institutions, including Abia State University, Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic and the College of Education Arochukwu, will receive N52.8 billion for salaries, hostels, lecture theatres and critical facility upgrades.

The health sector also receives significant attention with an allocation of N149.7 billion. The governor plans to renovate seven general hospitals, upgrade twenty three primary health centres, equip ABSUTH with essential medical facilities and expand manpower development. These interventions align with the governor’s previous achievements, which include the restoration of key hospitals, refurbishment of two hundred primary health centres, recruitment of seven hundred and seventy one health workers and increased enrolment in the state health insurance scheme, now at one hundred and twenty thousand residents.

Infrastructure remains a major pillar of the 2026 fiscal plan, with N169.3 billion dedicated to extensive road development across all zones. Key roads include the Umuahia Ikot Ekpene Road, Ahiaeke Okwuta Bende Road, Nkata Amaeke Road, Agbo Umueze Mbom Road, and the Umuoji, Mgboko and Amauzukwu Mbom corridors. These routes are strategic economic arteries that will unlock commerce, reduce travel time and strengthen logistics for citizens and businesses.

Public transportation receives N11.1 billion, including N6 billion for the procurement of eighty additional electric buses and the completion of modular transport terminals. This investment strengthens the governor’s broader modernisation drive aimed at improving mobility, reducing emissions and establishing a more efficient urban transportation system.

Energy remains another signature priority. The governor announced that Abia has acquired electricity distribution assets outside the Aba ring fenced zone, reinforcing the state’s ambition for energy independence. With the full implementation of the Abia State Electricity Law and the establishment of ASERA, the administration is laying the foundation for a competitive, reliable and self-sustaining power ecosystem.

Governor Otti also reviewed the 2025 fiscal year, highlighting achievements that provide a credible foundation for the 2026 budget. These include over six hundred kilometers of roads built or rehabilitated since 2023, a doubling of school enrolment following the introduction of free basic education, the recruitment of more than five thousand teachers with another four thousand to follow, and a projected IGR of N100 billion by year end. Abia’s emergence as the most prepared state for health emergency response in Nigeria further underscores the depth of ongoing reforms.

The state projects a total revenue of N607.2 billion, comprising N223.4 billion in internally generated revenue, N83.2 billion from FAAC, N67.1 billion VAT, N26.5 billion grants and N168 billion from other federal inflows. This leaves a deficit of N409 billion, which the governor insists will be financed strictly through concessional loans reserved solely for capital projects. His categorical assurance that not a penny will be borrowed to fund recurrent expenditure underscores a disciplined approach to public finance and a decisive break from unsustainable practices of the past.

The 2026 budget therefore stands as a strategic instrument for statewide transformation. It accelerates development, unlocks new possibilities and reinforces the governor’s commitment to building an Abia where institutions work, where infrastructure supports growth and where every community feels the presence and impact of government.

Governor Otti’s vision for a modern, productive and forward looking Abia continues to take clearer shape. With this budget, he sets a bold and confident pace for 2026 and strengthens the belief that Abia’s best years are no longer aspirational but emerging.

– Dr. Ebere Uzoukwa is the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Abia State on Public Affairs.