ANAMBRA SETS PACE WITH INCLUSIVE 2026 BUDGET PLANNING

By Maureen Agbala

Anambra State has once again demonstrated its commitment to transparent governance and people-centred development as the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), hosted a Stakeholders’ Consultative Forum in Awka to shape the 2026 budget.

The forum, which attracted traditional rulers, civil society organisations, development partners, and legislators, served as a platform for robust deliberations on fiscal priorities, inclusiveness, and citizen participation in governance.

Speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Mrs. Chiamaka Nnake, emphasised that the state’s 2026 budget will revolve around five key pillars carefully designed to accelerate growth and improve the lives of Ndi Anambra.

“Our priority will cut across our five key pillars: Security, law and order; Infrastructure and economic transformation; Human capital and social agenda; Governance and value system; and the fifth is Environment,” she stated. “We are prioritizing each of them accordingly. None will be prioritized above another, which has always been the case. This consultative forum is our bottom-up approach to budgeting. We don’t sit in Awka to develop the budget; we go to the grassroots.”

Mrs. Nnake explained that the budget process had begun about five months ago with letters sent to communities to identify their priority projects. She noted that the feedback received was already being processed by relevant ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs). “We are trying to ensure that our 2026 budget is comprehensive and inclusive and actually reflects the needs of Ndi Anambra. This process is not new; this is what we do every year,” she added.

Echoing this sentiment, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mrs. Chinyere Nwabachili, described the forum as a significant milestone in the state’s commitment to visionary and inclusive planning.

“This forum marks an essential milestone in our collective effort to ensure the formulation of a budget that is not only visionary but inclusive, equitable, and responsive to the needs of our people,” she said.

She stressed the importance of aligning resources with critical development areas. “The process of budgeting and planning is fundamental in ensuring that our resources are allocated in a manner that addresses most of our developmental needs, especially in areas like health, education, infrastructure, and social welfare. We are delighted to have UNICEF as a key partner in this initiative.”

Mrs. Nwabachili further praised UNICEF’s long-standing global commitment to improving the lives of children, women, and marginalized communities, which she said aligns perfectly with Anambra’s mission of building a prosperous, sustainable, and inclusive state. “Public participation in the budgeting process is critical, and we are committed to ensuring the voices of our citizens are heard and reflected in the final document,” she affirmed.

The Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) also hailed the process as a step in the right direction. Representing the CSOs, Mr. Chris Azor underscored the significance of the budget as a social contract between the government and the people.

“This budget is a people’s budget and we are delighted to be part of it,” he declared. “The budget is the second most important law in developed democracies. Aside from the constitution, the next law is the budget, and that is where the people are captured. It is not just a document; it is a social document that any government has for the people.”

Mr. Azor congratulated Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo and Commissioner Nnake for ensuring that citizens remain at the heart of the process. “We have expectations that this budget should actually be a budget of recovery, a budget of changing gear and acceleration, that all that we lacked in the past will be captured in this budget. This government deserves a round of applause,” he said.

Also in attendance was the Chairman of the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, Sir Ejike Okechukwu, who reaffirmed the legislature’s readiness to support a transparent and accountable budgetary framework. His presence underscored the unity of purpose between the executive and legislative arms of government in driving inclusive governance.

Maureen is of the Ministry of Information, Anambra State