By Tony Adibe
The Enugu State Government said it has no apologies for investing much in the security and sports sectors in its 2026 budget proposal.
NewsBits reports that the state government allocated N9 Billion for Rollout of a system of actively monitored CCTV cameras across the State, and N10 Billion for State Government fund for intervention programmes.
Also, the sum of N13 Billion was set aside for renovation and rehabilitation of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium Complex, while N6.8 was allocated for the renovation of hostels at the Awgu Games Village in Awgu Local Government Area of the state.
Addressing a press briefing on the breakdown of year 2026 budget proposal of the state, the Hon. Commissioner, Ministry of Budget and Planning, Barr. Chris-Roberts Ozongwu emphasised that the state would not tender apologies for the late huge amounts set aside for the security sector, as  the government was committed to ensuring security of the citizens’ lives and assets across the State.
Ozongwu was reacting to a reporter’s question on why such huge amounts of money were allocated to the two sectors.
“There’s no amount of money that you will spend in Nigeria on security that is too much…If you cannot guarantee my security in this place, I won’t come to invest. The has been emphasising the issue of security; using technology to fight insecurity,” said Ozongwu, who was quick to add: “We are not apologising for the kind of money we are putting in on security. So, we are putting our next phase of CCTV cameras.”
The commissioner also explained the wider reach or coverage of the security measures adopted by the state government to tackle insecurity within and even beyond the state.
He said: “Our system of monitoring in our Command-and-Control Centre (CCC).We want to be seeing every part of the hinterland in our state. Both kidnappers, bandits or ritualists or whatever you call yourselves, there will be no bidding place for you in Enugu State anymore. We will pick you up. And that’s why we have invested that much in the CCTV as part of our security architecture in Enugu State.”
Speaking specifically on the budget for the Youths and Sports Ministry, Ozongwu said that Enugu State is sports State that has produced remarkable sports men and women, hence the need to keep the sector flourishing in the state.
“We can’t apologise for that amount of expenditure to sports,” he said. According to him, sports, for the youths, was something that should be “part of our life.”
Ozongwu further said: “Nigeria is a sports nation and then our state, Enugu is a sports State. We’ve produced wonderful athletes and footballers, and therefore, we should continue to drive that pioneering record. So, sports deserve that and therefore we can’t apologise for that amount of expenditure.”
The commissioner recalled that on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, Governor Peter Mbah presented a proposed budget of N1,617,397,465,000.00 for the 2026 fiscal year. He said that this budget titled, the “Budget of Renewed Momentum,” embodied our collective determination to accelerate development, and consolidate ongoing reforms across the state.
According to him, the theme of the budget reflected “&our unwavering commitment to scaling up infrastructure, stimulating economic growth, enhancing security, expanding social services, and ensuring that every allocation translates into tangible improvements in the lives of our people.”
Ozongwu, while focusing on the 2025 budget performance, said that the passing year 2025 marked a defining moment when the promise of our reforms became visible.
He said that it was the point at which the first clear light of a new day shone across our state, affirming that the dawn we had long anticipated was indeed real. “The 2025 Appropriation Budget had a total size of N971 Billion. Of this approved amount, N133 Billion was allocated for recurrent expenditure, while N838 Billion was earmarked for capital expenditure,” he said.
The commissioner explained that in terms of budgetary performance, Enugu State recorded notable outcomes. “Total recurrent revenue was budgeted at N692,179,000,000.00 with actual revenue amounting to N676,214,331,501.33, representing a performance rate of 97.7%. Capital receipts were projected at N278, 905,000,000.00, but the actual figure stood at N150,009,920,000.00, translating to 53.7%. Overall, total inflow amounted to N826,224,251,501.33 against a budgeted N971,084,000,000.00, giving an 85.08% performance level,” Ozongwu said.
He said:Â “Expenditure performance also demonstrated significant progress. Recurrent expenditure, budgeted at N133,140,000,000.00 and later revised to N150,140,000,000.00 recorded an actual spending of N138,480,194,193.00(92.2%). Capital expenditure, with an initial budget of N837,944,000,000.00 and a revised figure of N820,944,000,000.00 achieved actual spending of N667,177,562,000.00, representing 81.2%. In total, expenditure amounted to N805,657,756,193.00 compared to the budgeted N971,084,000,000.00, resulting in an overall performance rate of 82.9%.”
Ozongwu said that to date, the state had spent approximately N806 billion, noting that this reflected a utilization rate of 97.5% of all funds received and an overall implementation rate of 83% of the revised N971 billion budget.
