Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has submitted a ₦878 billion budget proposal for the 2026 fiscal year to the State House of Assembly, urging lawmakers to thoroughly review and pass the document.
The proposed budget—titled “Budget of Consolidation and Sustainability”, allocates ₦567 billion (65%) to capital projects and ₦310 billion (35%) to recurrent expenditure.
The new proposal represents a 41.07% increase from the 2025 budget.
Governor Mohammed said the upward adjustment was driven by higher revenue expectations resulting from recent fiscal reforms and anticipated increases in tax revenue from measures set to take effect in January 2026.
He highlighted priority areas and their corresponding allocations:
– Administration Sector: ₦120 billion (13.7%)
– Economic Sector: ₦435 billion (49.6%)
– Law and Justice Sector: ₦12 billion (1.4%)
– Social Sector: ₦310 billion (34.4%)
Mohammed assured the Assembly that the budget was crafted using the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and in line with the State Fiscal Responsibility Law.
He added that his administration adopted a conservative approach to ensure that all listed projects are feasible, and that the preparation process was both inclusive and participatory.
While assessing the current year’s budget, he noted that the 2025 appropriation had achieved 79.1% implementation as of September, with projections suggesting it could reach 85% by year-end.
He appealed to lawmakers for continued cooperation and for the timely passage of the 2026 Appropriation Bill to support the state’s developmental plans.
Speaker Abubakar Sulaiman praised the governor for presenting the budget on schedule, pledging that the legislature would expedite its scrutiny and approval.
He reaffirmed the House’s commitment to advancing the welfare and progress of Bauchi State.
Meanwhile, the state government has enacted a new law creating 29 additional local government areas, increasing the total from 20 to 49 LGAs, pending constitutional ratification.
A document obtained by The Guardian revealed that Governor Mohammed signed the legislation on October 28, 2025, while the acting deputy clerk, Musa Yerima, forwarded it to the National Assembly’s Constitution Review Committee.
With a population of roughly 10 million, the state is seeking federal approval to formalise the newly created councils under the ongoing constitutional amendment process.
