Governor Fubara Proposes ₦1.854 Trillion 2026 Budget for Rivers State

Siminalayi Fubara, Governor of Rivers State, presented the 2026 Appropriation Bill to the state House of Assembly on July 10, 2026. Titled the "Budget of Resilience for Growth and Development," the ₦1.854 trillion proposal represents a 24.49 percent increase over the adjusted 2025 budget. Fubara attributed the growth to sustained state economic expansion and improved receipts from the Federation Account Allocation Committee.

The fiscal plan allocates ₦1.405 trillion to capital projects, with the largest investments earmarked for works and infrastructure at ₦533.32 billion, education at ₦315 billion, and healthcare at ₦105.43 billion. Recurrent expenditure is set at ₦413.11 billion, including ₦154.7 billion for salaries and ₦15.2 billion for new recruitment. The governor also proposed a 50 percent increase in overhead allocations for ministries, departments, and agencies to manage rising operational costs and clear civil servant salary arrears.

Speaker Martin Amaewhule received the bill and pledged the assembly's prompt legislative attention to ensure the state's growth. The presentation follows the assembly's approval of the 2026–2028 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and signals a reconciliation between the executive and legislative branches after years of political crisis and parallel sittings. The bill passed its first reading, and the plenary is adjourned until July 20.