Amos Etuk
At exactly 16: 04 pm on Tuesday, November 25, 2025, the Akwa Ibom State Governor, His Excellency, Pastor Umo Eno, Ph.D took a bow in the hallowed Chambers of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly after an erudite presentation of N1,390, 000,000,000 {One Trillion, Three Hundred and Ninety Billion Naira} budget estimate for the 2026 fiscal year before the Lawmakers christened “ The Peoples Budget of Expansion and Growth’’.
It was the second time since Governor Umo Eno was sworn into Office as Governor of Akwa Ibom State that he would be undertaking this Constitutional demand. According to the Majority Leader of the Eighth Assembly, Rt. Hon. { Barr.} Otobong Bob, it was the first time since the return to democracy in 1999 that an APC Governor would be presenting a Budget to a well dominated same Party State Legislature.
With an excellent 86.9 percent performance of the 2025 Budget as at the third quarter in the year {September ending} the present administration has made laudable strides in different sectors of the State economy. Along the focal strengths of the ARISE Agenda, there have been very significant milestones in the Agricultural revolution with the Ibom Model Farm on course, the distribution of farm implements, fertilizers and the assurances in providing tractors to enhance mechanized farming has boosted food sufficiency so far.
A further review of the dividends of the 2025 Budget in Akwa Ibom State include construction of Model Schools in all 31 Local Government Areas, the pilot scheme for the Model Secondary Schools in the three Senatorial Districts, massive road projects across the State. Besides these, there has been prevailing peace resulting in enhanced investments. Through Sports renaissance, future international champions are being discovered and more national competitions are now taking place in the State. The ongoing work at the Sports Academy in Eket, the State of Emergency in the Health sector which is bringing new dynamics in quality healthcare with the opening of a medical corridor which includes the construction of the Ibom International Hospital and the construction of Primary Health Centres.
Other scorecard achievements of the 2025 fiscal year include consistent support to the growth of Ibom Air which has made the airline not just the best in Nigeria but also profitable, ongoing construction work at the Aviation School and advanced completion of the MRO project at the Victor Attah International Airport which when completed will boost the intended international status of the airport. There is a revolution in the housing subsector with ongoing construction of the Judiciary village, Ewet Luxury Estate and the Grace Estate for Civil Servants.
Other milestones include social investments, job creation and poverty alleviation. Construction of Compassionate Homes to beneficiaries, payment of outstanding Gratuities, human capacity development and the rapid development of the tourism sector. There is advanced stage completion of the ARISE Palms Resort, Ibom Hotels, Ibom Convention Centre and the ongoing construction work at the Ibom Towers and Apartments in Lagos and Abuja which when completed will generate more revenue to the State. All these audacious projects and others spread across the State have secured available funding without any borrowing or accumulation of debts by the administration of Pastor Umo Eno. Prudent management of resources has been his watchword in governance.
The inputs of the 2026 Budget has been a collective contribution of the Akwa Ibom People. Earlier this year from March to August, Governor Umo Eno took governance to the grassroots across all Ten Federal Constituencies in the State through the various Town Square Meetings which was collectively embraced.
One key commitment through this novel concept of governance was the strong feedback mechanism which enabled each community present their challenges with assurances by the Governor that the 2026 Budget would belong to the People and it would capture their various needs across the State.
That promise of Governor Umo Eno’s service delivery in uplifting people’s lives has been captured as a policy thrust of the 2026 Budget anchored on the ARISE Agenda aimed at strengthening food security and sufficiency through mechanized farming, improve living conditions in rural areas, more roads, better health facilities, stronger security networks, improved education at all levels, more job creation, streamlining of the tax system to reduce redundancy, provision of Compressed Natural Gas {CNG} buses to ease transportation challenges and construction of modern terminals across all the Local Government Areas alongside the promotion of Tourism aimed at diversifying the economy and the need to boost Internally Generated Revenue , completion of the Ibom Medical City and recruitment of more medical personnel.
The 2026 Budget is expected to stimulate and accelerate economic development within the State and further drive infrastructural growth with all the recurrent and capital expenditure proposed to meet the set targets of the fiscal year.
The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly is expected to give priority attention to the Budget as it has passed the First reading stage and will be deliberated at the next plenary before the public hearings by all MDAs begin. The synergy between the Executive and Legislature is putting Akwa Ibom State first towards achieving optimal set targets by the beginning of the next fiscal year. The future is assured.
The APC led administration of Pastor Umo Eno in Akwa Ibom State has further deepened the relationship of progress and growth between the State and the Federal Government. In his consistent ideology as a steadfast and principled man of peace,we must work for the collective interest of building a united purpose of making our dear State Nigeria’s biggest destination in terms of service delivery and excellence. This is very possible and will be achieved.
The 2026 Budget touches every Akwa Ibom person and it must be our commitment to put Akwa Ibom first in all we do and rise in greatness.
Indeed, Akwa Ibom is Rising.
