Diri presents N998.3bn 2026 budget to Bayelsa Assembly

Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, on Tuesday presented the 2026 Appropriation Bill of N998.3 Billion to the State House of Assembly. 

The proposed budget, which Governor Diri christened “A Budget of Assured Prosperity II,” emphasizes infrastructure and development by allocating a significant 65 percent to capital expenditure, with the remaining 35.4 percent designated for recurrent expenditure.

The administration has clearly prioritized infrastructure in this bill. The Works and Infrastructure sector received the largest allocation at N298.6 billion. 

Other critical sectors were also prioritized, with Education receiving N75.2 billion, Sports allocated N46.5 billion, and the Health sector getting N39.7 billion. 

The budget earmarked N21.5 billion for Security, N16.5 billion for Power, N15.6 billion for Agriculture, and N10.8 billion for the Ministry of Water Resources.

Governor Diri informed the House that his administration has already made significant progress on key signature projects. 

These include the iconic nine-storey State Secretariat Complex, the 30,000-capacity Stadium, the 60-megawatt Independent Power Plant, and the ongoing development of the three Senatorial Roads. 

The Governor stressed that true prosperity must be meaningful and shared, pointing out that his administration’s budgets were consistently focused on essentials, ensuring that the benefits of development are “felt in every community and by every citizen of the State.”

In response, the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Abraham Ingobere, assured Governor Diri that the House would rigorously scrutinize the bill and ensure its expeditious passage to allow the government to continue its development agenda. 

Lawmakers, including Hon. Werinipre Pamoh, representing Kolokuma/Opokuma Constituency 1, were present at the presentation.