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Kogi State yesterday entered a new phase of fiscal ambition as Governor Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo approved the State’s 2026 Draft Appropriation Bill — a massive ₦820.49 billion “Budget of Shared Prosperity” — marking a bold 35.7% rise over the 2025 revised budget and setting the tone for accelerated transformation across the state.

The announcement was made after the State Executive Council meeting where the Commissioner for Finance, Asiwaju Asiru Idris, disclosed that the budget is strategically driven by five key pillars — enhanced internal revenue mobilisation, aggressive debt recovery, a stronger pro-business climate, deeper public-private partnerships, and accelerated completion of ongoing projects.

According to Idris, the numbers reflect a deliberate shift to infrastructure expansion and improved service delivery.

“The 2026 budget proposals reflect a robust and balanced financial strategy — anchored on enhanced revenue generation, strategic expenditure control and strong commitment to capital investment,” he said.

“Both recurrent and capital expenditure stand at ₦820,490,585,443. It is a clean balance, and fiscal discipline will be key to achieving outcomes.”

Security also featured strongly.

The Commissioner for Information, Hon. Kingsley Fanwo, explained that the Ododo administration is intensifying investments in intelligence capacity, operational equipment and community-based security coordination — noting that the state is already seeing measurable gains.

Council deliberations also touched on water access, land administration reforms and road safety. Governor Ododo has directed that every serving commissioner must sink three boreholes each within their respective LGAs — a mandate meant to speed up grassroots water access.

The EXCO further resolved to centralise and sanitise land consent authority to curb fraudulent land dealings.

Notably, the session included former commissioners, a symbolic gesture of political inclusiveness and continuity. Former Commissioner, Honourable Salisu Sani Ogu, applauded Ododo’s leadership posture:

“He has shown a desire to carry everyone along and build on the foundation laid since 2016.”

With this massive fiscal plan — the largest in Kogi’s history — the Ododo administration is signalling not just expansion of government footprint, but a renewed social contract centred on shared prosperity, unity and measurable development impact.

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