Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has formally assented to the state’s N1.84 trillion 2026 Appropriation Bill.
Fubara signed the budget into law on Thursday at the State Executive Council Chambers, Government House, Port Harcourt, shortly after the Rivers State House of Assembly passed the appropriation bill.
The budget, christened “Budget of Resilience for Growth and Development,” is expected to guide the state’s spending and development priorities throughout the 2026 fiscal year.
Speaking after signing the bill, Fubara expressed optimism that its implementation would open a new chapter of development and cooperation between the executive and legislative arms of government.
He said his administration remained committed to advancing the interests of Rivers State, while assuring the lawmakers of his willingness to maintain a cordial working relationship with the Assembly.
The governor also expressed gratitude for what he described as the circumstances that made the passage and signing of the budget possible, acknowledging the intervention of former governor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Fubara said the development marked the beginning of what he hoped would be a healthier relationship between the two arms of government.
Earlier, the Speaker of the House, Martin Amaewhule, disclosed that lawmakers had reviewed some aspects of the governor’s proposal before passing it.
A major adjustment was made to the N6 billion earmarked for PAMO University of Medical Sciences, a privately owned institution where Rivers indigenes benefit from government scholarships.
According to Amaewhule, the Assembly reduced the allocation after the university failed to provide satisfactory explanations regarding the utilisation of previous funds and did not send representatives to appear before the lawmakers.
He said part of the amount was consequently redirected to the State Primary Healthcare Development Board as part of the Assembly’s oversight responsibility.
Amaewhule maintained that the review was aimed at strengthening accountability and ensuring that public resources were deployed for the benefit of Rivers residents.
The Majority Leader of the Assembly, Major Jack, described the 2026 appropriation as an ambitious budget, saying lawmakers subjected the estimates to thorough scrutiny before arriving at the final figure.
Politics Nigeria understands that the budget is expected to be financed through N487.6 billion in Internally Generated Revenue, N936.052 billion from the Federation Account Allocation Committee, N48 billion in opening and closing balances, N50 billion in proposed internal loans and N25 billion from asset sales.
The expenditure framework includes N262 billion for agriculture, N625.8 billion for the economic sector, N65 billion for law and justice and N435.4 billion for the social sector.
It was gathered that the Assembly also approved N1.4 trillion for capital expenditure, while N1.4 billion was recommended for the Primary Health Management Board to rebuild its facility on Accra Street.
The PAMO University allocation had emerged as one of the most contentious issues during the budget consideration, with lawmakers questioning the size of the provision and seeking greater clarity on its utilisation. The controversy escalated after a commissioner reportedly wrote to the Assembly seeking an increase in the allocation from N6 billion to N8 billion, arguing that the initial provision was inadequate.
Fubara had presented a proposed 2026 budget of N1,854,248,734,475 to the Assembly in July. The proposal represented a 24.5 per cent increase over the state’s revised 2025 financial estimates.
