Governor unveils ₦583bn budget as Adamawa targets growth,renewal in 2026
The Governor of Adamawa State today strode into the House of Assembly with a confident message: the state is moving forward, and the money is being lined up to prove it.
Presenting the 2026 Appropriation Bill, Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri said the proposed ₦583.3 billion budget was designed to lock in what he called “sustainable growth and economic renewal” after years of heavy investment in people and infrastructure.
Addressing lawmakers, the governor stressed that the plan was the product of months of consultations with ministries, agencies and legislators, with spending priorities aligned to his eight-point agenda. He insisted the figures were realistic, shaped by tough economic conditions and cautious revenue projections.
The headline numbers reveal an administration still betting big on bricks and mortar. More than 64 per cent of the proposed budget — about ₦373.7 billion — is earmarked for capital projects, from roads and power to schools, hospitals and water schemes. Recurrent spending, including salaries and overheads, will take just under 36 per cent.
Fintiri used the occasion to remind lawmakers of what his government claims to have achieved. He said tens of thousands of women and young people had already benefited from business grants under the Fintiri Business Wallet scheme, with another 100,000 set to receive ₦50,000 each. By his reckoning, that could lift as many as 700,000 people out of extreme poverty.
Adamawa, he added, was the first state to implement the ₦70,000 minimum wage, while digital reforms had helped push it from 23rd to fourth place nationally on ease-of-doing-business rankings. Internally generated revenue has risen, debt has been cut by more than half, and the state now boasts an investment-grade credit rating.
Looking ahead, the governor promised that 21 new model and mega schools would open early next year, alongside upgraded hospitals, new markets, roads and a revamped Yola stadium. Spending plans also prioritise education, health, agriculture and support for small businesses.
On security, Fintiri struck a grateful tone, describing Adamawa as one of Nigeria’s most peaceful states and urging citizens to safeguard that stability.
As he wrapped up, the governor said the outgoing 2025 budget had “served the people”, but insisted the new one was about something bigger — cementing progress and preparing Adamawa for the future. He then wished lawmakers a merry Christmas and a prosperous new year, before formally laying the Budget of Sustainable Growth and Economic Renewal before the House.