By Aniekan Umanah
At exactly 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 25, 2025, a black Mercedes Benz 600 sedan bearing the crest of the Akwa Ibom State Governor glided into the State House of Assembly. Inside was Governor Umo Bassey Eno, arriving to present the 2026 Appropriation Bill, aptly christened “The People’s Budget of Expansion and Growth.”
Clad in a dark ash bespoke suit, crisp white shirt, Arise-branded silk tie and polished green-blend shoes, the Governor cut a figure of calm authority. Before stepping into the chambers, he made a brief stop at the ongoing rehabilitation works in the Assembly complex, receiving updates from engineers, a symbolic reminder that transformation in Akwa Ibom is both policy and practice.
By 3:30 p.m., the House resumed plenary, suspended its rules and welcomed the Governor and his entourage into its chambers. What unfolded was more than a constitutional obligation; it was a masterclass in how budgeting can drive sub-national transformation.
Eno presented a ₦1.39 trillion fiscal proposal anchored on a bold, reformist 25% recurrent and 75% capital ratio, a dramatic departure from Nigeria’s common budgeting structure. In a political landscape where recurrent expenditure often consumes development, Akwa Ibom chose to prioritise tomorrow over today, investment over indulgence and progress over politics.
The Governor opened on a reflective political note: “The last time I appeared before this Assembly,” he recalled, “we were members of another political party.”
The state’s movement to the APC, he said, was driven by enlightened state interest, adding that Akwa Ibom is now fully aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reform agenda.
“With 24 lawmakers, 30 chairmen, Exco members and political structures now APC,” he affirmed, “Akwa Ibom is solidly aligned with the centre and this is strategic.”
Then came the fiscal core: a budget designed to stimulate growth, sustain infrastructure and consolidate gains across the ARISE Agenda. ₦387.5 billion is earmarked for roads and major infrastructure; significant votes are dedicated to education, healthcare, SMEs, agriculture, aviation and strategic projects across the three senatorial districts. Revenue projection stands at ₦1.146 trillion.
This capital-driven philosophy is not abstract, it is visible across the state. Roads stretch like lifelines across communities, with over 900 kilometres either completed or under active construction, many with bridges connecting farms to markets and people to possibilities. Model schools are rising, designed for a tech-driven generation.
Healthcare is being rebuilt: new hospitals completed or renovated, new Model Primary Health Centres established, 29 more slated for upgrades and thousands of health workers, retired and newly engaged, reinforcing service delivery.
Agriculture is awakening at the Ibom Model Farm, now nearing completion. More than 69,000 farmers have already received direct support while the Tree Crop Revolution promises generational wealth for rural households.
Tourism is being reimagined through the ARISE Palm Resort, the 5,000-capacity Ibom International Convention Centre, Ibom Hotels upgrade and sustained investment in Ibom Air, airport expansion and the MRO facility, positioning Akwa Ibom as a rising global destination.
Yet, amid this ambitious expansion, the budget retains its human pulse. It remembers widows welcomed into compassionate homes, elders receiving stipends, youths launched into entrepreneurship and families whose long-withheld gratuities, over ₦75 billion and counting, are finally being paid. Here, development is not only asphalt and glass but dignity, inclusion and restored hope.
Inside the chambers, the Governor’s vision met a warm institutional embrace.
Speaker of the House, Elder Udeme Otong, described the presentation as “a cornerstone of democratic governance.” He praised the Arise Agenda for bringing “succour and renewed hope to the people of Akwa Ibom State,” acknowledging strides in tourism, humanitarian programmes such as the ARISE Compassionate Homes and people-centered interventions. He also thanked the Governor for the ongoing rehabilitation of the Assembly Complex and the provision of a conducive temporary workspace.
He assured that the House would meticulously scrutinise the budget to ensure efficient allocation and prioritisation of projects that uplift the people.
The Governor, in turn, anchored his presentation on peace, the quiet force that has made Akwa Ibom one of Nigeria’s safest states. He urged political actors to maintain civility, reminding them that even in disagreement, the state must not lose its stability.
“Even if you disagree with us,” he said, “let us play politics with decorum. The brother you fight today may become your ally tomorrow.”
In his vote of thanks, the Leader of the House, Barr. Otobong Bob, commended the Governor for his vision and discipline. He hailed the capital-to-recurrent ratio as “a strong statement of development commitment,” assuring accelerated consideration and timely passage of the budget.
In a nation where states often battle with bloated recurrent costs, Akwa Ibom has chosen prudence, courage and foresight. The 25/75 ratio is not just a statistic, it is a philosophy, a promise that government resources will build, lift and sustain the people.
Eno’s 2026 Budget is more than an appropriation bill, it is a generational charter, a blueprint for expansion and a manifesto of practical hope. It proves that a sub-national government can grow without borrowing, progress without noise and prosper through discipline.
Akwa Ibom is not merely budgeting for 2026; it is building for the future.
Slowly, surely, beautifully, brick by brick, road by road, dream by dream, The People’s Budget of Expansion and Growth stands as a testament to the power of vision and a promise boldly kept to the people.
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