The Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, has presented a ₦1.439 trillion appropriation bill for the 2026 fiscal year, representing a 78 per cent increase over the 2025 budget, which stood at ₦8.7 billion.
The bill, christened the “Budget of Economic Breakthroughs,” places strong emphasis on infrastructure expansion, improved workers’ welfare, enhanced power supply, and broad-based economic growth across the state.
Uzodinma said the size and structure of the budget reflect his administration’s determination to fast-track development by prioritising capital projects over recurrent spending.
He explained that ₦1.201 trillion, representing 83.4 per cent, is earmarked for capital expenditure, while ₦238.5 billion, or 16.6 per cent, is allocated to recurrent expenditure covering personnel costs, overheads, and pensions.
The governor explained that the 2026 budget is anchored on improved federal allocations, enhanced internally generated revenue, and the administration’s resolve to eliminate a generator-dependent power economy while delivering world-class infrastructure capable of unlocking economic opportunities.
The proposal was formally laid before lawmakers during a plenary session of the Imo State House of Assembly in Owerri, where the governor reviewed achievements across key sectors and outlined projections for 2026.
Addressing labour and civil service reforms, Uzodinma recalled that in 2010 the state struggled with salary and pension obligations that exceeded 100 per cent of its monthly revenue. He said his administration has since made steady progress in clearing backlogs of unpaid gratuities and salaries accumulated over the years.
He disclosed that the minimum wage has been raised to ₦104,000 for several categories of workers, while entry-level lecturers now earn ₦222,000, adding that the government may review wages upward again if revenue improves.
“Because we have always been proactive in labour matters, we have maintained harmonious cooperation with organised labour,” the governor said, adding that electricity and potable water have been restored to 10 buildings in the State Secretariat complex after more than a decade of neglect, alongside the deployment of staff shuttle buses to improve workers’ efficiency.
Uzodinma further announced that 1,426 officers on Grade Levels 06 to 08 have been trained in ICT to boost productivity, while plans are underway in 2026 to re-roof office buildings, construct a three-storey Office of the Head of Service with a conference hall, and build a dedicated administrative block for the Civil Service Commission. He also disclosed plans to introduce smart automated ID cards to eliminate ghost workers.
In the health sector, the governor said partnerships with development agencies have yielded significant gains, including collaboration with the Gates Foundation for malaria elimination training and a broadband health project implemented by the Clinton Health Assistance Initiative, aimed at intensifying malaria control efforts in 2026.
He added that 55 new primary healthcare centres have been established, 105 skilled birth attendants recruited, and 12,225 pregnant women enrolled under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund.
According to him, the Imo State Health Insurance Agency has paid premiums for 22,108 patients and 37,323 civil servants, with a target of enrolling at least 2.7 million residents.
Uzodinma also highlighted the sustenance of neurosurgical services at the Imo Specialist Hospital, the establishment of a mental health and rehabilitation centre, and the installation of a 200 kVA solar system at the Imo State University Teaching Hospital, which is slated for full computerisation and programme accreditation in 2026.
On infrastructure and power, Uzodinma said the state has secured a licence for its electricity market and recorded progress on distribution and transmission projects, assuring that phased completion of the Imo power project would deliver electricity to the state capital and, subsequently, all 27 local government areas.
Concluding, the governor said the 2026 budget is a clear statement of his administration’s ambition to provide the infrastructure foundation required for sustainable economic growth, job creation and improved living standards.
“This is why 2026 is the year of economic breakthroughs for our state and our people. With this budget, we are laying the groundwork for a stronger, more productive and more prosperous Imo State,” Uzodinma said.
