The Rivers State Executive Council (EXCO) has approved a proposed ₦1.854 trillion budget for the 2026 fiscal year, describing it as a “Budget of Resilience for Growth and Development.”
The approval was granted on Friday, January 2, 2026, after extensive deliberations at the first EXCO meeting of the year, held at the Executive Council Chambers, Government House, Port Harcourt. The meeting was presided over by Governor Siminalayi Fubara, with the Deputy Governor, Prof. Ngozi Odu, in attendance.
Briefing journalists after the meeting, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Economic Matters and Social Development, Prof. Peter Medee, disclosed that the council approved an aggregate budget size of ₦1,854,248,734,475.76 for the provision of goods and services in the state in 2026.
“We are here to say that the State Executive Council has graciously approved the aggregate sum for the provision of goods and services of Rivers State for the year 2026 in the figure of ₦1,854,248,734,475.76,” Prof. Medee said.
He explained that the proposed budget was carefully structured to reflect the development priorities of the Fubara administration, with a strong focus on completing ongoing projects and meeting outstanding obligations in critical sectors of the state’s economy.
“The main thrust of the year 2026 proposed estimate has been fashioned to enable the State accomplish and conclude ongoing projects as well as clear our outstanding obligations in key critical sectors,” he stated.
According to Prof. Medee, priority areas in the 2026 budget include infrastructure development, health, education, agriculture, human capacity development, youth empowerment, culture, tourism, and information and communications technology (ICT).
He further announced that EXCO approved the theme of the 2026 budget, noting that it reflects the administration’s resolve to consolidate gains and strengthen recovery efforts amid prevailing economic challenges.
“It is against this backdrop that the State Executive Council has respectfully approved and considered that the budget theme for 2026 is the Budget of Resilience for Growth and Development,” he said.
“This is because, in spite of many challenges, the State Government has remained resilient, dogged and focused, and achieving key targets as part of our commitment to the people of Rivers State,” Prof. Medee added.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Communications, Dr. Honour Sirawoo, said the council subjected the budget proposal to detailed and rigorous scrutiny before arriving at the approved figure.
“As you are aware, we just finished our EXCO meeting which basically looked at the proposal for the 2026 budget,” he said.
Dr. Sirawoo noted that the administration was deliberate in arriving at what he described as a robust budget size, aimed at repositioning the state for accelerated development.
“The Governor Siminalayi Fubara administration is determined to bridge the lost grounds. Upon that reason, a very robust budget figure has been arrived at after very conscious deliberations to put our State where it needs to be,” he said.
He added that the government’s budgeting approach is anchored on value-for-money spending and improving the overall well-being of the people of Rivers State.
The briefing was also attended by the Special Adviser on Finance, Barr. Emmanuel Frank Fubara, among other top government officials.
