Oborevwori Signs ₦1.729tr 2026 Budget Into Law

Governor Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori on Tuesday signed into law the Delta State 2026 Appropriation Bill of ₦1.729 trillion, tagged “Budget of Accelerating the MORE Agenda,” alongside three other critical bills recently passed by the Delta State House of Assembly.

The governor’s assent marks a major step toward accelerated development, enhanced security, and strengthened social welfare across Delta State in the 2026 fiscal year.

The three other bills signed into law 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.

Speaking during the signing ceremony, Governor Oborevwori described the 2026 budget as “not just a budget of figures, but a budget of vision, action and expected deliverables for the next twelve months,” assuring Deltans that the state would hit the ground running in 2026 to accelerate development across critical sectors.

The ₦1,729,881,208,779 budget represents an increase of over 70 per cent compared to the 2025 budget, with 70 per cent allocated to capital expenditure and 30 per cent to recurrent spending, reinforcing the administration’s commitment to infrastructure-led growth and sustainable development.

According to the Governor, despite its ambitious outlook, the budget is achievable, noting that sustained investments in infrastructure, security, fiscal discipline and revenue growth in 2025 resulted in improved internally generated revenue without imposing additional burdens on citizens.

“These gains reflect the success of our reforms and our determination to further strengthen Delta State’s economy,” he said.

Governor Oborevwori explained that the newly assented laws were designed to reinforce social welfare, education and security across the state.

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

The Colleges of Education Law, 2025, he noted, standardises the operations of state-owned colleges, enabling them to award Nigerian Certificate in Education (NCE) and education degrees concurrently, while expanding their capacity to train more qualified teachers.

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

Governor Oborevwori commended the Speaker, leadership and members of the Delta State House of Assembly, as well as the Clerk and staff of the House, for the timely passage of the bills, highlighting the strong synergy between the executive and legislative arms of government.

He also appreciated stakeholders, cabinet members, civil servants and citizens for their contributions, while wishing all Deltans a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

Earlier, Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Emomotimi Guwor, said the passage of the four bills followed rigorous legislative engagement, wide consultations and thorough scrutiny in line with the Assembly’s constitutional mandate.

Guwor explained that 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 added that 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.

On the Appropriation Law, 2026, the Speaker said the House scrutinised the budget sector-by-sector in alignment with the MORE Agenda before approving the ₦1.729 trillion estimate.

According to him, the assent to the bills 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.