Soludo Unveils ₦757.8bn 2026 Budget, Targets Accelerated Development and Smart Megacity Vision

Soludo Unveils ₦757.8bn 2026 Budget, Targets Accelerated Development and Smart Megacity Vision

Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Charles Soludo, has presented a proposed 2026 budget of ₦757,884,487,705 to the State House of Assembly, signalling a renewed drive to consolidate economic expansion and infrastructure growth.

Titled “Changing Gears 3.0 – The Solution Continues,” the new budget represents a 24.1 percent increase from the 2025 fiscal estimate of ₦606,991,849,118. Governor Soludo said the 2026 expenditure plan is designed to accelerate development and advance Anambra’s transformation into a smart megacity.

Expressing gratitude to the people of Anambra for re-electing him for a second term, Soludo reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to fiscal prudence. He noted that government operations have not depended on borrowing, and projected that there would be no need for loans in 2026, depending on the execution pace of projects.

The governor highlighted growth across key sectors compared to 2025: Administrative Sector (12.2%), Economic Sector (26.7%), Social Sector (31.4%), Education (46.9%), Health (13%), and Infrastructure Investments (27.7%). According to him, these increases reflect deliberate investments aimed at boosting human capital, driving economic productivity, expanding critical infrastructure, and protecting citizens’ welfare.

Soludo stated that the 2026 fiscal plan will deepen and consolidate structures laid during his first tenure, while introducing new legacy projects in line with the state’s five-pillar Solution Agenda: Security, Law and Order; Infrastructure and Economic Transformation; and Human Capital Development. He said 70 percent of the budget is allocated to these core sectors.

He also pledged to sustain ongoing transport infrastructure upgrades, including strategic dualised roads, bridges, flyovers, and expanded mass transit. The state, he said, will increase the number of buses, invest in new jetties and boats, and enhance water transport safety.

The governor revealed that Anambra will pursue public-private partnership (PPP) financing for its rail master plan and advance the development of three new cities: Awka 2.0, Greater Niger, and the Aerotropolis/New Industrial-Commercial City. Construction of the Anambra Mixed-Use Industrial City is scheduled to begin in 2026, marking what he described as the next phase of industrial transformation.

Soludo added that urban regeneration will be fast-tracked while efforts to improve the Ease of Doing Business will be intensified to attract both foreign and domestic investors.