The Rivers State Executive Council has approved a ₦1.85 trillion draft budget for the 2026 fiscal year, tagged the “Budget of Resilience for Growth and Development.”
Approval was given late Friday during an executive council meeting presided over by Governor Siminalayi Fubara at Government House, Port Harcourt.
Briefing journalists after the meeting, the newly appointed Special Adviser to the Governor on Economic Matters and Social Development, Prof. Peter Medee, said the budget is structured to consolidate ongoing projects and push new investments in critical sectors of the state’s economy.
According to him, the total budget size stands at ₦1,854,248,734,475.76, and is designed to sustain government operations while prioritising infrastructure, social services and economic expansion.
Prof. Medee said the proposal reflects the administration’s determination to keep projects on course despite political and fiscal headwinds.
“This budget is about resilience. It is crafted to ensure that key projects are completed and new ones are advanced in critical sectors, even in the face of current challenges,” he said.
He added that the document aligns with the governor’s broader development agenda, which focuses on job creation, human capital development, and improved public services, particularly in education, health, roads and urban renewal.
While specific sectoral breakdowns were not disclosed at the briefing, Medee stressed that the 2026 proposal seeks to maintain fiscal discipline while leveraging Rivers State’s revenue base to fund strategic investments.
Also present at the briefing were the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Communications, Dr. Honour Sirawoo, and the newly sworn-in Special Adviser on Finance, Barrister Frank Fubara, who both reiterated government’s resolve to meet its obligations to citizens and contractors.
Dr. Sirawoo said the budget theme underscores the administration’s intention to “weather current economic pressures” and still deliver tangible benefits to Rivers people.
The Special Adviser on Finance noted that the government would continue to refine its revenue drive and block leakages to fund the ambitious spending plan without losing sight of sustainability.
With executive approval secured, the Budget of Resilience for Growth and Development is expected to be presented to the Rivers State House of Assembly for consideration and passage in the coming days.
If passed as proposed, the 2026 budget would rank among the largest in the state’s history, signalling Governor Fubara’s intention to push ahead with key projects and reforms amid ongoing political realignments and economic uncertainty.
