Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, on Wednesday signed the N695 billion 2026 appropriation bill into law.

The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Tersoo Kula, made the disclosure in a statement on Thursday in Makurdi.

The budget was passed by the Benue State House of Assembly on Wednesday and the governor assented to it on the same day.

Mr Alia submitted an appropriation bill of N605.51 billion, but the house passed N695.01 billion, increasing the budget by N89.5 billion.

The governor, after assenting to the bill, described it as a people-focused spending plan aimed at rural development, livelihood support, and sustained economic growth.

He christened the budget as the “Budget of Rural Development, Livelihood Support and Sustained.”

He said, “This budget is rooted in the realities of our present and is guided by the aspirations that bind us to a greater tomorrow. At the heart of Benue lies a strong rural foundation that feeds the nation, preserves our culture, and anchors our path to inclusive growth.

“For decades, these rural communities carried the weight of neglect, despite feeding the nation. With this budget, we make a bold declaration: the era of rural neglect is over.

“The 2026 Budget deliberately prioritises rural transformation through feeder roads, bridges, water supply, rural electrification, and climate-smart infrastructure. When we connect farms to markets, we unlock wealth. When we connect communities to schools and hospitals, we secure dignity. When rural Benue thrives, the entire state prospers.”

Mr Alia emphasised further that Benue farmers remain the pride of the land, stating that it was why agriculture and agro-industrial development received strong backing in this budget.

The governor added the state government was expanding access to subsidised inputs, mechanisation, extension services, aggregation centres, and cottage processing facilities.

According to him, the government is not just growing crops but growing value chains, jobs, and incomes.

The governor commended the Benue State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Alfred Emberga, for a diligent, transparent, and patriotic budget process.

He called for a collective responsibility and urged development partners, the private sector, traditional institutions, civil society groups, and the media to see the budget as an invitation to partnership.

Mr Alia assured that the budget would be implemented with discipline and accountability, adding that the success of the budget would ultimately be measured by its impact on the lives of Benue residents.

The speaker who presented the bill to the governor said the house did due diligence by painstakingly scrutinising and analysing the budget viz-a-viz the current economic realities and in line with the vision of the administration. 

(NAN)