Governor Kefas Signs ₦653.5bn 2026 Taraba Budget Into Law

Taraba State Governor, Agbu Kefas, has assented into law the appropriation bill of N653.531,700 billion for the 2026 fiscal year.

Governor Kefas, who signed the bill into law on Monday at the TY Danjuma House in Jalingo, commended the State lawmakers for their diligence, commitment and timely consideration of the 2026 budget proposal.

He expressed satisfaction with the lawmakers for granting the bill accelerated passage and assured the people of the state that the budget would be fully implemented.

According to the governor, the budget reflects a shared commitment between the executive and the legislative arms of government toward the development of the state and the well-being of its citizens.

He noted that the appropriation aligns with his administration’s resolve to deliver visible and impactful development across Taraba State.

Governor Kefas further assured that he would immediately direct all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to commence full implementation of the budget in line with its objectives.

The governor had earlier submitted a budget of N650, 631, 700.00 billion, tagged “Development We Can See,” for consideration and approval.

Earlier, the Speaker of the Taraba State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. John Bonzena, recalled that the House had assured the governor of a speedy passage of the budget, a promise which he said had been fulfilled.

Bonzena explained that during legislative consideration, the House made key adjustments to the budget, including increased allocations for the procurement of textbooks for teachers and students of public schools in the state.

It would be recalled that the House passed the 2026 Appropriation Bill on December 15, 2025, following the adoption of the report of the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation.

The passage followed a one-week thorough defence of the budget estimates by various MDAs before its sub-committees, following which the House increased the 2026 budget size from ₦650.631.700 billion to ₦653.531,700 billion.

It was noted that the state’s revenue target was increased from four to nine per cent, amounting to about ₦58.6 billion, as lawmakers noted that the earlier projection was below standards.

The increase in the budget size was driven by priority interventions in education and innovation, including the procurement of textbooks for schools, take-off funding for the Taraba State University of Tropical Agriculture, Technology and Science and Climate Action, Gembu, as well as the establishment of a bio-entrepreneurship laboratory complex in Wukari.