Diri Presents First Budget as APC Governor, Proposes N998 Billion For 2026
Governor Diri and his cabinet members, including the local government council chairmen and 21 out of the 24-member state House of Assembly, had resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on October 15, and declared for the ruling APC, two weeks later.
In the appropriation bill he laid before the state legislature yesterday, the Sampor-born governor proposed a total expenditure value of N998, 371, 943. 04 for next year.
Tagged “Budget of Assured Prosperity 11,” the state chief executive explained that the capital expenditure is expected to gulp N645.2 billion, representing 64.6% as against N353.1 billion (35.4%) for recurrent expenditure.
Diri explained that the 2026 fiscal expenditure would be funded through various projected revenue sources, including statutory allocation N42.2bn,
Value Added Tax N84bn, 13% derivation N212.6bn and other FAAC allocations N488bn.
Similarly, the Bayelsa government expects more revenue funding through internally generated sources, N85.9 billion with internal and external grants amounting to N24.9bn while domestic loans would be N50bn.
Consistent with the state’s past budgets, the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure got the lion’s share of N298.6bn, which underscored the administration’s commitment to completing and expanding of the road network in the state as well as other projects, including the nine-storey civil servants secretariat.
The Education Ministry was allotted N75.1bn while Sports got N46.5bn and Health N39.7bn. Government allocated the sum of N10.8bn for the provision of pipe-borne water, following Governor Diri’s earlier pledge to address the water challenge in the state in 2026.
Some other areas listed by the governor included power generation and supply, N16.5bn, security, N21.5bn, and agriculture N15.6bn among other sectors.
The governor commended the legislature for its cooperation with the executive, noting that they were elected to better the lives of the people of the state.
“Mr Speaker, Bayelsans elected us to take bold actions to improve their quality of life. That is what we are doing and will continue to do. I trust that when history reviews our actions and this budget, our choices will be seen as the right ones.
“In the 2026 fiscal year, we will continue with all ongoing projects like the three senatorial roads, Glory Drive Phase 3 that will link Imgbi Road with a bridge crossing the Epie Creek, the Ogu-Akaba-Okodi Road, Sabagreia–Polaku Road, Toru–Orua– Bolu–Orua–Kabeama–Ebeni Road, internal roads, the ultra-modern state secretariat, among others,” Governor Diri stated.
The Bayelsa helmsman appealed to the lawmakers to give the appropriation bill careful consideration and expeditious passage.
Earlier, the speaker, Abraham Ingobere, lauded the governor’s commitment to developing road infrastructure, education, sports, healthcare, the power sector and other key areas, which he noted had tremendously transformed the state.
He said: “From my assessment, the total overhaul of the education sector, infrastructure development, recruitment, training and retraining of teachers, establishment of technical and vocational schools in all the local government areas are yielding huge dividends and demonstrate the government’s dedication to middle level manpower development.”
Ingobere assured that the assembly would prioritise the appropriation bill and ensure that it is passed in good time.
The 2026 budget marks the fifth appropriation bill that Governor Diri would be presenting to the state legislature since he assumed office in February 2020.
