Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu, has presented a proposed budget of N987.8 billion for the 2027 fiscal year to the state House of Assembly, with N246.1 billion earmarked for infrastructure development.
The proposal, tagged “Budget of Consolidation and Renewed Hope”, was presented to lawmakers in Calabar on Wednesday.
The budget estimates provide N708.43 billion for capital expenditure, representing 71.72 per cent of the total, while recurrent expenditure accounts for N279.38 billion, or 28.28 per cent.
The total proposed expenditure stands at N987,808,089,235.92, representing a 2.57 per cent increase over the 2026 budget.
Otu said the estimates were prepared within the framework of the state’s 2027–2029 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework to consolidate the achievements of his administration.
He explained that the significant allocation to infrastructure and road development was intended to sustain progress on more than 608 kilometres of roads constructed across the state’s three senatorial districts, alongside rural electrification and other critical projects.
“The substantial capital allocation reflects our commitment to prioritise infrastructure, human capital development and productive investment to stimulate economic activities,” the governor said.
Addressing the state’s debt profile, Otu maintained that his administration had not obtained any fresh domestic or foreign loans since assuming office in 2023.
He attributed the existing debt burden to liabilities inherited by his government and the impact of naira devaluation.
“I cannot, and will never mortgage the future of our children with unsustainable loans,” he declared.
Other major sectoral allocations in the proposed budget include N99.6 billion for education, N85.4 billion for healthcare, N28.2 billion for agriculture and N21.8 billion for aviation.
The governor also highlighted his administration’s investments in five aircraft for the state fleet, 730 electric vehicles and the Federal Government’s approval of the proposed $3.5 billion Bakassi Deep Seaport project.
Earlier, the Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Elvert Ayambem, described the governor’s appearance before the legislature as more than a constitutional obligation under Section 121 of the 1999 Constitution.
According to him, the presentation demonstrated respect for democratic institutions, the separation of powers, transparency and accountability.
Ayambem said the working relationship between the executive and legislative arms under the state government’s “People First” mantra had supported progress in infrastructure, agriculture, tourism, healthcare, education and human capital development.
He added that the 10th Assembly had passed critical legislation and carried out oversight activities on the implementation of the 2026 budget.
The Speaker also recalled the presentation of Cross River State’s experiences with climate change at COP17 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, in August 2026.
He commended Otu’s reported zero-tolerance approach to cultism and kidnapping, saying the improvement in security had helped restore confidence and made the state more attractive to investors.
Ayambem expressed confidence in the governor’s political future, assuring him of the Assembly’s support for his re-election bid in February 2027.
He further assured the governor that lawmakers would subject the 2027 budget estimates to thorough scrutiny through engagements with ministries, departments and agencies to promote balanced development across the state.
The Speaker, however, appealed for support to enable Assembly members to attend international conferences and called for urgent intervention to renovate the Assembly Complex and Assembly Village, which he described as being in a deplorable condition.
