Taraba Gov Seeks Assembly Approval Of N148.26bn Supplementary Budget

Following the emergence of a N7 billion monthly infrastructure financing window, Governor Agbu Kefas is seeking legislative approval from the State House of Assembly for a N148.26 billion supplementary budget.

The new financing arrangement, which was not captured in the original 2026 appropriation law, has triggered a proposed realignment of government spending to accommodate emerging security and development priorities across the state.

Governor Kefas, in a letter forwarded to the Assembly, said the state became eligible for the monthly financing under the States Discounting Programme after the passage of the 2026 budget.

According to him, the development necessitated adjustments to the approved budget and the provision of funding for strategic interventions, particularly the creation of 10 Nigerian Army divisions and the implementation of the Taraba State Security Advancement and Sustainability Project (SAS-P).

The governor said the proposed supplementary appropriation stood at N148,262,489,531, with N56 billion expected from the States Discounting Programme for the 2026 fiscal year, in addition to internal borrowing.
The state had earlier approved a N653.63 billion budget for 2026, comprising N460.39 billion capital expenditure and N193.24 billion recurrent expenditure.

He added that, beyond the supplementary provision, the Ministry of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, has proposed internal adjustments amounting to N176.33 billion to accommodate changing expenditure requirements.

Governor Kefas said N44.8 billion of the proposed adjustments would be drawn from the approved 2026 contingency fund and reallocated to ministries, departments and agencies that had overspent their recurrent expenditure provisions.

“The remaining N131.53 billion will be addressed through virement and budget revision, reflecting the government’s attempt to align existing appropriations with emerging fiscal demands.”

The governor then urged the Assembly to approve the supplementary budget and proposed revisions, as the measures would enable the administration to strengthen capital development and respond to the state’s emerging priorities and fiscal realities.

The speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. John Kizito Bonzena, who later read the letter transmitted for consideration by Governor Kefas, said the supplementary budget proposal was a move to overhaul the state’s 2026 spending plan.