Governor Hope Uzodimma on Monday made history in Imo State, becoming the first governor to hit the trillion-naira mark in budgetary presentation, as he sent a whopping ₦1,439,573,590,405.04 draft budget for 2026 to the State Assembly for consideration.
The draft, which he christened the “Budget of Economic Breakthrough,” is expected to synergise infrastructure with critical economic programmes initiated by his administration over the years to achieve economic freedom and independence for the state.
The emphasis, he noted, is to enable the state reap the full benefits of initiatives such as the Light Up Imo Project, Orashi Free Trade Zone, Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport expansion, the digital economy, job creation and economic transformation.
Presenting the proposal at the Imo State House of Assembly Complex on Monday, December 22, 2025, the governor reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to transparency and accountability, noting that the budget builds on achievements recorded over the past six years, including over 130 completed roads, six functional tertiary hospitals and improved security across the state.
The 2026 budget represents a 78 per cent increase from the 2025 budget.
A breakdown of expenditure shows that ₦1.201 trillion (83.4 per cent) is allocated to capital expenditure, while ₦238.5 billion (16.6 per cent) is set aside for recurrent expenditure, covering personnel costs, overheads and statutory obligations.
On revenue, the state expects ₦823.27 billion from recurrent revenue sources, including Internally Generated Revenue, statutory FAAC allocations, VAT, derivation funds and other federal transfers. Capital receipts from development partners and donor agencies are projected at ₦382.72 billion.
Capital expenditure is largely directed at economic and social development. The economic sector receives over ₦1.01 trillion, followed by the social sector with ₦87.7 billion, administrative services with ₦32.8 billion and special intervention votes.
The governor described the budget as “a roadmap to sustained economic breakthroughs,” assuring that all ongoing projects would be completed and that the investments would translate into tangible benefits for the people of Imo State.