Oborevwori’s Government Proposes ₦1.2 Trillion – ₦1.3 Trillion Budget As Delta Reviews Spending Priorities

DELTA State is preparing a leaner budget for 2027, with the government proposing to cut about ₦500 billion from the ₦1.7 trillion approved for the 2026 fiscal year.

The Commissioner for Economic Planning, Mr. Sonny Akporokiamo Ekedayen, announced the plan during a consultation with traditional rulers, community leaders and civil society organisations.

He said the proposed budget would fall between ₦1.2 trillion and ₦1.3 trillion, subject to possible adjustments by the State House of Assembly.

Ekedayen attributed the reduction to the need for prudent financial management. According to him, the ₦500 billion saving that helped finance the 2026 budget would no longer be available. Moreover, the government expects expenditure to decline as the state enters a transition period in 2027.

Despite the lower spending plan, the commissioner said the government intended to protect capital investment. Consequently, 65 per cent of the proposed budget would go to capital expenditure, while recurrent costs would account for 35 per cent.

The administration would use the available resources to complete ongoing projects and undertake carefully selected new ones. Road infrastructure, in particular, would receive attention because of its potential to improve connectivity and stimulate economic activities.

Ekedayen said the government also wanted to consolidate the achievements of the past three years. He recalled that Governor Sheriff Oborevwori completed projects inherited from the previous administration. Therefore, the governor intends to ensure that no project remains unfinished when his first tenure ends.

Beyond infrastructure, the government plans to deepen social intervention programmes. The commissioner said these initiatives would focus especially on economically vulnerable residents and promote wider participation in the state’s development.

He also explained that the 2026 Citizens’ Budget was prepared to make public finance easier to understand. It outlines how government generates revenue, how it intends to spend the money and which major projects it plans to execute.

As a signatory to the Open Government Partnership, Delta State, he said, remains committed to transparency and public accountability. He consequently urged residents to obtain the full budget from the state government’s website, attend town hall meetings and monitor projects in their communities.

Citizens, he added, should submit feedback, pay their taxes and other statutory levies, protect public facilities and oil and gas assets, and provide security agencies with relevant information whenever they notice threats to public peace.

On the performance of the current budget, Ekedayen reported that implementation had reached 69 per cent by the end of September. While recurrent expenditure recorded 90 per cent performance, capital expenditure achieved 60 per cent.

The commissioner also highlighted what he described as a significant reduction in the state’s debt burden. He said the cumulative debt profile had dropped from ₦463 billion at the beginning of the Oborevwori administration to ₦63 billion.

Furthermore, he expressed confidence that the government could clear the remaining debt before the end of the first quarter of 2027.

However, the consultation also exposed areas where stakeholders want the government to adjust its priorities.

The Asagba of Asaba, His Royal Majesty, Prof. Epiphany Azinge, SAN, OON, welcomed the allocations for roads, education and healthcare. He commended the government for its reported achievements in those sectors but questioned the relatively low attention given to agriculture.

Azinge argued that Delta State should aspire to become a major food-producing centre in Nigeria. He also expressed concern that the budget did not adequately address youth employment.

The monarch, who praised the reported performance of the 2026 budget, disclosed that Asaba had prepared a community budget proposal for submission to the government. He said such initiatives would give communities an opportunity to communicate their priorities directly to decision-makers.

In his view, community participation would help government identify urgent local needs and make more responsive spending decisions.

Meanwhile, Prof. Ignatius Ezoem and Hon. Igwe Nzekwe, who spoke for the Presidents-General of communities, called for more investment in rural roads. They stressed that poor access roads continued to hinder the transportation of farm produce to urban markets within Delta and beyond.

They welcomed the opportunity for community representatives to contribute to budget preparation. Nevertheless, they alleged that more than 90 per cent of the projects submitted by communities were excluded from the final budget documents.

The representatives therefore urged the government to improve the process and ensure that community proposals receive meaningful consideration.

Also speaking at the engagement, activist Rex Anigoro, who represented civil society organisations, praised the state government’s efforts to give residents a voice through the Citizens’ Budget.

He described the document as a covenant between the government and the governed, rather than a ceremonial publication. He also commended the Ministry of Economic Planning for involving relevant stakeholders in the preparation process.

However, Anigoro insisted that public participation should continue after the budget receives legislative approval and the governor’s assent. He urged Deltans to monitor projects, demand accountability and follow government spending to ensure that approved plans translate into tangible improvements across the state.