Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, on Thursday, presented a N998.37 billion appropriation bill for the 2026 fiscal year to the State House of Assembly, pledging continued investment in infrastructure, education, and human development.
Tagged "Budget of Assured Prosperity II," the proposal outlines major funding sources including N42.2 billion from statutory allocation, N84 billion from Value Added Tax, N212.6 billion from the 13 per cent derivation fund, and N488 billion from other FAAC allocations.
The governor also projected an internally generated revenue of N85.9 billion, grants of N24.9 billion from both internal and external sources, and domestic loans amounting to N50 billion.
Of the total estimate, N645.2 billion, representing 64.6 per cent, was earmarked for capital expenditure, while recurrent spending will take N353.1 billion, or 35.4 per cent.
As in previous years, the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure received the largest allocation of N298.6 billion for major road projects and the nine-storey civil service secretariat in Yenagoa.
Education received N75.1 billion, Sports N46.5 billion, and Health N39.7 billion. The budget also provides N10.8 billion for the supply of pipe-borne water, in line with Diri’s promise to tackle the state’s water challenges in 2026.
Other key allocations include N21.5 billion for security, N16.5 billion for power generation and supply, and N15.6 billion for agriculture.
Addressing the lawmakers, Governor Diri commended the Assembly for its consistent support and urged them to give the budget "careful consideration and expeditious passage."
"Bayelsans elected us to take bold actions to improve their quality of life. That is what we are doing and will continue to do.
"When history reviews our actions and this budget, our choices will be seen as the right ones," he said.
He assured that his administration would sustain ongoing projects, including the three senatorial roads, Glory Drive Phase 3, Ogu–Akaba–Okodi Road, Sabagreia–Polaku Road, Toru–Orua–Bolu–Orua–Kabeama–Ebeni Road, as well as various internal roads and the state secretariat complex.
In his remarks, the Speaker of the House, Rt Hon Abraham Ingobere, praised the governor’s dedication to infrastructure, education, sports, health, and power development, describing the budget as a reflection of "visionary leadership and continuity."
Ingobere particularly commended the government’s overhaul of the education sector, including the establishment of technical and vocational schools across all local government areas, which he said had massively improved middle-level manpower development.
He assured that the Assembly would prioritise the bill’s passage to enable timely implementation of the 2026 budget.
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