Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State has formally submitted a proposed spending blueprint of ₦987.8 billion for the 2027 fiscal year to the State House of Assembly, designating ₦708.43 billion specifically for capital development.
Tagged Budget of Consolidation and Renewed Hope, the proposal is 2.57 per cent higher than the 2026 budget, while recurrent expenditure stands at ₦279.38 billion, representing 28.28 per cent of the total.
Presenting the estimates in Calabar, Otu said the budget was designed to sustain ongoing projects, improve public services and create opportunities for investment and employment.
On the state’s debt profile, the governor said his administration had not obtained fresh domestic or external loans since assuming office in 2023.
He attributed existing debts to previous administrations, noting that debt servicing had reduced the funds available for development.
Reviewing the 2026 budget, Otu said a supplementary appropriation had raised the spending framework to ₦963.07 billion to accommodate additional needs arising from rising costs and exchange-rate pressures.
He reported that more than 608 kilometres of road projects were being undertaken across the state’s three senatorial districts, including the Nsan–Oban Road in Akamkpa, Adiabo–Ikoneto Road in Odukpani and Yahe–Ebo–Wanakade Road in Yala.
In agriculture, the governor said 8,000 farmers had received more than 20,000 bags of fertiliser, while over one million improved seedlings had been distributed for oil palm, cowpea and cocoa cultivation.
He also highlighted plans for a 50,000-hectare rice project and support for livestock farmers.
In healthcare, Otu cited the rehabilitation of hospitals and the establishment of medical oxygen plants in Calabar and Ogoja in partnership with UNICEF.
For education, he reported more than ₦17 billion in Universal Basic Education Commission intervention funds, payment of West African Examinations Council fees for 43,694 indigenes and the promotion of over 14,000 teaching and non-teaching staff.
The proposed budget also prioritises transportation, aviation and maritime development.
Otu said the state had acquired 730 electric vehicles for inter-city and metropolitan transportation, while construction work continued on the Obudu International Passenger and Cargo Airport.
He added that the Bakassi Deep Seaport had received Federal Government approval and a Certificate of Compliance and was awaiting construction, with anticipated private investment of about $3.5 billion.
Infrastructure received the largest listed sectoral allocation of ₦246.1 billion, followed by education with ₦99.6 billion and health with ₦85.4 billion.
Other allocations include agriculture, ₦28.2 billion; aviation, ₦21.8 billion; the House of Assembly, ₦20.2 billion; the judiciary, ₦19.1 billion; power, ₦16.6 billion; and tourism, ₦11.3 billion.
Otu urged lawmakers to consider and pass the appropriation bill, which will determine the state’s spending priorities for the 2027 fiscal year.
What You Should Know
Governor Bassey Otu has presented the Cross River State budget estimates for 2027, focusing heavily on capital projects like road networks, agricultural programs, and infrastructural developments across the state’s three senatorial districts.
- Positive Impact: The massive allocation to capital projects aims to drive structural development, improve public transportation with electric vehicles, boost agricultural production through fertilizer and seedling distribution, and upgrade healthcare and educational facilities.
- Potential Concerns: Heavy reliance on capital investments and existing debts from past administrations could strain government resources if revenue targets are not fully met, despite the administration’s cautious borrowing stance.
