In what is no doubt a bold testament to visionary governance and people-centred leadership, Governor Bassey Edet Otu on Tuesday unfurled before the Cross River State House of Assembly a fiscal masterpiece, the ₦780.59 billion “Budget of Inclusive Growth.” Far beyond a perfunctory ritual of numbers and figures, the presentation bore the weight of conviction, the poetry of purpose, and the moral resonance of stewardship. “The budget,” Governor Otu declared, “is a sacred social contract between government and the governed, a declaration of collective intent to enhance the well-being of our people.” Thus, the 2026 Appropriation Bill stands as both blueprint and beacon — a clarion call to inclusion, innovation, and shared prosperity.
From the first cadence of his presentation, the Sweet Prince of Cross River revealed the philosophical spine of his administration’s fiscal agenda — the primacy of human development over mere economic arithmetic. Departing from the conventional fixation on Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Otu announced a bold paradigm shift: progress shall henceforth be measured through the Human Development Index (HDI), a metric that values health, learning, and livelihood. “We will judge progress,” he intoned with quiet conviction, “by how much better our people live, learn, and thrive.” This recalibration signals not only a new economic ethos but also a moral awakening, a government that dares to see development not as bricks and mortar or concrete and contracts, but as the blossoming of human potential.
The ₦780.59 billion fiscal framework, representing a 17 percent rise over the 2025 budget, is intricately woven around the twin pillars of capital expansion and social empowerment. With ₦519.6 billion (67%) devoted to capital expenditure, the governor makes a bold investment in the physical and human architecture of growth — roads that connect, schools that enlighten, hospitals that heal, and industries that employ. The distribution tells its own story: ₦421 billion to the economic sector, ₦163 billion to social services, ₦164 billion to general administration, ₦28 billion to law and justice, and ₦3.6 billion to regional development. Each figure whispers the same promise, a Cross River where no citizen is invisible and no community is left behind.
The 2026 fiscal vision draws its moral authority from a record of measured success and prudent management. Reflecting on the previous year’s “Budget of Sustainable Growth,” Otu noted that it was revised upward from ₦538 billion to ₦642 billion, buoyed by improved revenue inflows and disciplined fiscal conduct. “We cannot spend an extra kobo without the legal instrument of appropriation,” he emphasized, underscoring his commitment to transparency and accountability. Yet behind those figures are human stories: rural electrification projects lighting up forgotten hamlets; emergency funding for maternal and neonatal health; and strategic partnerships that have drawn both national and international development funds to the state’s doorsteps.
Governor Otu’s rhetoric is matched by performance. He reminded the Assembly that Cross River now ranks first nationwide in routine immunization coverage, a stunning 95 percent, proof that the People First philosophy has found practical expression in healthier lives. The Adiabo–Ikoneto Road, Esuk Utan–Depot dual carriageway, and Yahe–Ebo–Wanakom–Wanikade axis stand as milestones in his infrastructural renewal drive. Beyond asphalt and bridges, the Otu administration has breathed life into institutions: every School of Nursing now fully accredited; the General Hospital, Ikom, nearing completion; and solar-powered streetlights transforming nightscapes from Calabar to Obudu. These are not mere achievements, they are the architecture of faith, the evidence of inclusive governance at work.
Perhaps the most stirring element of Otu’s 2026 fiscal odyssey is its forward-looking promise — a vision that fuses fiscal realism with poetic audacity. The Obudu Passenger and Cargo Airport nears completion; groundwork for the Bakassi Deep Seaport continues apace; and fibre-optic connectivity now hums across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, heralding a new digital dawn in governance. “We are not just providing infrastructure,” Otu affirmed with quiet pride, “we are building the future, restoring Cross River as a maritime and logistics hub in West Africa.” In this light, the Budget of Inclusive Growth is more than an economic document, it is a covenant of renewal, a manifesto of faith in a state’s boundless potential, and a howling promise that under Governor Bassey Otu, the sunrise of shared prosperity has only just begun.
… Obogo is Chief Press Secretary and Special Adviser to Governor Otu on Media and Publicity
