Oborevwori Signs into Law Delta’s N1.729trn 2026 Budget

•Says budget will speedily translate his vision for Deltans in 2026

Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba

Governor Sheriff Oborevwori on Tuesday signed into law the Delta State’s 2026 Appropriation Bill of N1.729 trillion.

The governor signed into law the 2026 budget bill, tagged “Budget of Accelerating the M.O.R.E Agenda”, alongside three other bills recently passed by the Delta State House of Assembly.

The other three bills assented to by Governor Oborevwori are the Delta State Social Investment Programme Law; the Delta State Colleges of Education Law, 2025; and, the Delta State Anti-Terrorism and Anti-Cultism (Amendment) Law, 2025.

“This is not just a budget of figures, but a budget of vision, action and expected deliverables for the next twelve months,” Oborevwori said, assuring that his administration was poised to “hit the ground running in 2026” by stepping up the tempo of state-wide development.

Compared to the 2025 Appropriation Bill, the N1,729,881,208,779 2026 total estimates represent an increase of over 70 percent.

Although obviously ambitious, the fiscal estimate with 70 percent dedicated to capital expenditure and 30 percent located to recurrent expenditure, is well achievable, the governor said.

The slant towards the capital estimate underscores his administration’s commitment to infrastructure-based growth and sustainable development, he assured.

According to him, the state government scored huge gains in 2025, through intensified investments in infrastructure, security, fiscal discipline and revenue growth, leading to improved internally generated revenue without imposing additional burdens on citizens.

The gains are a measure of the success of the administration’s reforms and its determination to continue strengthening the state’s economy.

Oborevwori explained the three accompanying laws were designed to further reinforce social welfare, education and security in Delta State.

He said the Social Investment Programme Law provides a legal framework for equitable, grassroots-focused access to resources and services, particularly for vulnerable and underserved populations, without discrimination.

He added the Colleges of Education Law, 2025, standardises the operations of state-owned colleges, allowing them to award Nigerian Certificate in Education (NCEs) and education degrees concurrently, and expands their capacity to train more qualified teachers.

The Anti-Terrorism and Anti-Cultism (Amendment) Law, he said, strengthens the legal framework to combat terrorism, cultism and related crimes, aligning state laws with contemporary security realities.

The governor commended the speaker, leadership and members of the Delta State House of Assembly, as well as Clerk and staff of the House, for the timely passage of the budget and other bills, highlighting the strong synergy between the executive and the legislature.

Earlier, Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Hon. Emomotimi Guwor, said that the passage of the four bills was the outcome of rigorous legislative efforts vis-á-vis necessary broad consultation and strictly legislative scrutiny in line with its constitutional mandate.

The Social Investment Programme Law institutionalises social intervention initiatives to protect vulnerable citizens and promote inclusive growth and social justice, while the Colleges of Education Law, 2025, establishes a uniform framework to enhance the quality and efficiency of teacher education and reduce disparities among state-owned colleges, he explained.

The Anti-Terrorism and Anti-Cultism (Amendment) Law addresses emerging security challenges and corrects gaps in the principal legislation, including the omission of a clear definition of cultism, he further said.

On the Appropriation Law, 2026, the Speaker said that the House scrutinised the budget sector-by-sector in line with the M.O.R.E Agenda before passing the N1.729 trillion estimate.

Moreover, the assent to the bills further underscores the cordial and productive relationship between the legislature and the executive, driven by a shared vision for a peaceful, secure and prosperous Delta State, and will significantly advance good governance and socio-economic development in the state.

Governor Oborevwori had on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, presented a N1.664 trillion Appropriation Bill for 2026 to the Delta State House of Assembly, with an unprecedented 70 percent dedicated to capital expenditure, signaling an aggressive push for infrastructure expansion and socio-economic development in the 2026 fiscal year.

Presenting the financial proposal, the governor noted that the budget was crafted against the backdrop of an improving national economy, with Nigeria’s GDP projected to grow by 3.9% in 2026.

Oborevwori explained that “rising oil revenues, stabilising fiscal and monetary policies, tax reforms and renewed federal efforts in tackling insecurity” had rekindled hope for economic expansion and improved living standards in the coming year.