Governor Umaru Bago of Niger State has presented a N1.31 trillion budget proposal for the 2026 fiscal year to the State House of assembly.
Bago submitted the spending plan on Friday, describing it as a financial blueprint anchored on consolidation, growth and sustainability.
The proposal represents a 12.7 percent decline from the N1.5 trillion budget presented for 2025.
Tagged the “Budget of Consolidation,” the spending plan targets wealth and job creation, agricultural transformation, healthcare strengthening, road infrastructure development and education improvement.
The budget comprises N270.29 billion for recurrent expenditure and N761.64 billion for capital projects, representing 26.19 percent and 73.81 percent of total spending respectively.
The state expects to fund the budget through N163.2 billion from statutory allocation, N154.7 billion from Value Added Tax, N100.2 billion from internally generated revenue, and N398.8 billion from capital receipts.
Agriculture will receive N59.2 billion, education N107.9 billion, and health N72 billion, while infrastructure absorbs the entire capital allocation of N761.6 billion.
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The agricultural allocation will fund fertiliser distribution, abattoir construction and the establishment of an Agricultural Cooperative Agency to boost productivity and expand value chains, Bago said.
The N107.9 billion for education will rehabilitate 325 schools, train teachers and promote vocational skills development in agriculture and ICT among young people.
The N72 billion health allocation will support universal health coverage, completion of Primary Healthcare Centres and implementation of state health insurance schemes.
Infrastructure spending will focus on road construction, expansion of water supply and energy projects aimed at strengthening economic activities across the state, the governor said.
The economic sector will receive N510.3 billion for agriculture, commerce and industrial development, while the social sector gets N194.1 billion for education, health and social welfare programmes.
The law and justice sector was allocated N7.8 billion to strengthen the justice system and enhance the rule of law, while N50.3 billion was set aside for general administration to drive civil service reforms and improve public service efficiency.
The budget is based on an exchange rate of N1,447.21 per dollar, an inflation rate of 16.05 percent, and a GDP growth projection of 4.23 percent.
Implementation will prioritise completion of ongoing projects, agricultural development, food security and improved internally generated revenue to reduce dependence on federal allocations, Bago said.
Speaker Abdulmalik Sarkin-Daji reaffirmed the legislature’s support for the executive and called for sustained collaboration to advance the vision of a prosperous and secure “New Niger.”
In October, the Niger State Government signed a multi-billion-dollar agreement with the Republic of Benin to boost cotton, maize and soybean production through cross-border agricultural cooperation.
