By CHARLES IWUOHA

The Ebonyi State Government has unveiled a landmark N884 billion budget proposal for the 2026 fiscal year, dedicating more than 84% of the spending plan to infrastructure and economic development.

The government's ambitious blueprint, tagged “Budget of Actualisation and Hope,” also included a bold move to establish a state-owned cement factory valued at N150b.

The State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, who presented the proposal on Monday during a civic engagement session at the Christian Ecumenical Centre, Abakaliki, described the budget as the most comprehensive in the state’s history, noting that it was developed after a rigorous assessment of sectoral needs.

According to him, the unprecedented rise from previous annual budgets averaging about N89 billion to the new N884 billion proposal was enabled by increased fiscal space following the removal of fuel subsidy at the federal level.

“What was impossible is now possible. Without the delivery of subsidy, our budget wouldn’t jump from N89bn to over N800bn. That is the evidence and benefit of the removal of fuel subsidy,” Nwifuru told citizens, commending President Bola Tinubu for reforms that have strengthened the capacity of states to drive transformative development.

A major highlight of the budget is the planned construction of a new state-owned cement factory, conceived as a successor to the defunct NIGERCEM.

The project, expected to be funded through a N150 billion loan, will be entirely self-financing, the governor said.

“We agreed in council that this project will borrow money to fund itself from beginning to end. And this project will generate the same money to repay the loan,” he stated, adding that geological evaluations were ongoing to identify the most viable location with adequate limestone deposits.

Governor Nwifuru also announced the introduction of a new tax regime beginning January 1, 2026.

The policy, he said, is structured to make taxation more equitable by ensuring that wealthy individuals currently avoiding taxes contribute their fair share, while low-income earners particularly those earning below N20,000 annually are exempted.

“The poor, who are paying tax today, will stop paying to allow their income grow again,” he said.

Reassuring citizens of his administration’s commitment to completing all ongoing projects, Nwifuru explained that delays in some flagship initiatives were due to design adjustments and expansion.

He cited the example of the VANCO junction tunnel in Abakaliki, which was originally planned at 100 metres but redesigned to over 840 metres to meet long-term infrastructural needs.

“We do that because we want our enemies to cry when we complete these projects,” he quipped, insisting that critics who prematurely dismissed his infrastructural agenda would be proven wrong.

The governor further revealed that Ebonyi will hold a 27-day commissioning exercise from May 1 to May 27, 2026. During the period, President Tinubu is expected to visit the state at least four times to inaugurate no fewer than ten major projects, an event he said will blend governance achievements with emerging political activities ahead of the next electoral cycle.

Nwifuru reaffirmed his administration’s resolve to fully implement the 2026 budget, emphasizing that every citizen will feel the impact of the development initiatives before the end of his tenure.

“With your support and prayers, we will implement this budget 100% in infrastructure and in human capital development. By the time we are handing over, everyone here will have something to show as part of the legacy of this government,” he said.

He urged residents to remain united and supportive of the state’s development trajectory as Ebonyi embarks on what he described as its most ambitious growth phase yet.