From The Nijasun News Desk
The Abia State Government has opened consultations with citizens and key stakeholders as it begins preparations for the 2027 budget, with the administration of Governor Alex Otti warning that the state may have less revenue available next year.
The consultation, organised by the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, was held at the Aguiyi Ironsi Conference Centre, Umuahia, where participants reviewed the state’s performance in the first half of 2026 and made recommendations on priorities for the 2027 fiscal year.
Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Kingsley Anosike, said the engagement was designed to ensure that the government does not prepare a budget detached from the needs and aspirations of the people.
He said the 2027 budget was particularly important because it would be the final budget cycle of the present administration.
Anosike said citizens’ contributions would help determine the projects and priorities that should feature in the government’s final fiscal plan.
According to him, Governor Otti had directed the ministry to bring a cross-section of the public into the budget process so they could assess what the administration had achieved between January and June 2026 and contribute to plans for the remaining period.
He cited the redesign of the latest batch of electric buses to accommodate ramps for persons with disabilities as evidence that previous citizens’ engagements had influenced government decisions.
Anosike explained that the government cancelled an initial batch of 20 buses after stakeholders raised concerns about accessibility for persons living with disabilities.
Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Budget and Economic Planning, Eric Egwuibe, said the state’s expenditure was structured around four broad sectors: administration, economic, law and justice, and social development.
Egwuibe disclosed that the 2026 budget allocated ₦64 billion to administration, ₦550 billion to the economic sector, ₦13 billion to law and justice, and ₦387 billion to the social sector.
He said the economic sector remained particularly critical because investments in infrastructure and productive activities could stimulate economic growth while expanding the state’s revenue base.
The governor’s aide also said the Otti administration had continued to make budget documents and quarterly implementation reports accessible to the public as part of its transparency efforts.
On the 2027 fiscal outlook, Egwuibe said the state was working with key economic assumptions provided by the National Bureau of Statistics.
The assumptions include an inflation rate of 15.9 per cent, GDP growth of 4.3 per cent, oil price benchmark of $60 per barrel, oil production of 1.7 million barrels per day and an exchange rate of ₦1,432 to the US dollar.
He warned that the assumptions suggested that Abia could have less revenue available in 2027 than in the current year, making it necessary for the government and citizens to moderate expectations and concentrate resources on projects capable of delivering the greatest impact.
The Acting Clerk of the Abia State House of Assembly, Promise Onwukwe, and the Traditional Ruler of Okaiuga Alaike Autonomous Community, Ohuhu, Eze Innocent Nwaigwe, separately commended the administration for its stakeholder engagement and urged citizens to support what they described as the New Abia development agenda.
The representative of the Chairman of the Abia State Disability Commission, Ikenna Ebiri, also praised the government for what he described as a disability-inclusive policy environment, particularly the improved accessibility of public infrastructure through the provision of ramps in government buildings.
The forum was attended by government officials, traditional rulers, civil society organisations and other stakeholders, who participated in an interactive session on government policies, budget priorities and service delivery.
Tags:
Abia State | Alex Otti | 2027 Budget | Citizens’ Engagement
