Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, on Wednesday, assented to the N877 billion 2026 Appropriation Bill.

Mr Mohammed on November 27 presented a N878 billion proposed budget to the state House of Assembly for approval.

The lawmakers on Tuesday passed the estimate tagged “Budget of Consolidation and Sustainability.”

Mr Mohammed lauded the legislators for their commitment, effective scrutiny and timely passage of the budget.

He said that his assent lawfully activated the implementation of the 2026 budget from January 1, 2026.

The governor stated, “When I presented the budget proposal to the house, the speaker assured the executive and the people of the state that they will give the proposal timely, objective and thorough consideration without compromising legislative independence.

“I’m pleased to state that the House has once again fulfilled that assurance, and I commend the speaker and other honourable members for their diligence, professionalism and sense of duty.”

Mr Mohammed described the legislative process as robust, as government agencies were invited, interrogated and carefully assessed in line with the best democratic practice and not on a partisan basis.

The speaker, Abubakar Sulaiman, said the lawmakers conducted a thorough review of the revenue projection, outlined capital and recurrent expenditures, and prioritised key strategic sectors critical to job creation, security, infrastructure and social welfare.

He said the legislators observed that the internally generated revenue (IGR) projection appeared unrealistic.

“Our analysis considering the state revenue performance from January to September 2025 although currently standing at 75 per cent still raises concern regarding the reality of the projected figure of 2026.

“I would also like to note and further confirm the unrealistic realisation of the revenue projection in the proposed tax reform of the federal government of Nigeria which is expected to have an adverse impact on our internally generated revenue.

“This, therefore, warrants conscious considerations that led to the reduction of the budget size from N878 billion to N877 billion,” he said.
(NAN)