Plateau Releases N817.5bn 2026 Budget, Prioritises Infrastructure, Human Capital

Yemi Kosoko in Jos

The Plateau State Government has unveiled the breakdown of its N817.5 billion 2026 Appropriation Bill, signalling a renewed push toward infrastructure expansion, human capital development and improved security across the state.

Presenting the fiscal plan in Jos, the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Hon. Adams B. Lekshak, said the budget tagged ‘Budget of Consolidation and Sustainability 2’, is anchored on the state’s 2026–2028 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework/Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/FSP).

He noted that the administration remains committed to transparency, accountability and prudent resource management.

Lekshak reviewed the 2025 fiscal year, during which the budget rose from N499.45 billion to N609.17 billion after a supplementary appropriation. FAAC receipts significantly outperformed projections, rising to N257.89 billion from the approved N190.21 billion. However, Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) underperformed, delivering N31.1 billion against a target of N52.3 billion, while capital receipts also fell short at N62.78 billion out of N256.94 billion. The government spent N94.87 billion on capital projects.

For 2026, the state projects N443.11 billion in recurrent revenue, N62.51 billion from aids and grants, and N311.89 billion from the Capital Development Fund. Expenditure is structured with N316.42 billion for recurrent costs and N501.09 billion for capital projects, representing 61 per cent of total spending.

The economic sector receives the largest allocation with N376.91 billion (46 per cent), followed by the social sector with N215.85 billion (26 per cent), the administrative sector with N201.07 billion (25 per cent), and law and justice with N23.68 billion (3 per cent).

Key sub-sector allocations include Education (N91.30bn), Health (N88.36bn), Water, Sanitation and Energy (N107.08bn), Works and Transport (N92.71bn), and Agriculture and Rural Development (N48.01bn).

Lekshak urged ministries and agencies to adhere strictly to implementation guidelines and called on civil society organisations to monitor project execution.

He commended Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s leadership, citing improvements in road maintenance, salary payments and settlement of retirement benefits.