Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has requested the State House of Assembly’s approval for a N200 billion supplementary budget to revise the state’s 2025 spending framework amid mounting fiscal pressures.
The request was formally conveyed in a letter read on the floor of the House by the Speaker, Dennis Guwor, during plenary in Asaba on Tuesday.
According to the governor, the supplementary appropriation has become necessary as Delta State continues the implementation of its 2025 Appropriation Act while grappling with additional expenditure demands linked to pensions, healthcare funding, debt servicing, and urgent community interventions.
If approved, the supplementary budget will increase the overall size of Delta State’s 2025 budget and allow the government to realign spending priorities to accommodate obligations that were not fully anticipated when the original budget was passed.
What the governor is saying
Governor Oborevwori told lawmakers that the supplementary budget is critical to sustaining his administration’s development agenda and ensuring that key obligations are met before the close of the fiscal year.
He explained that the structure and timing of the 2025 budget, which runs until January 31, 2026, made a review unavoidable in light of emerging expenditure needs.
“The need became necessary to address expenditures, bearing in mind that the 2025 budget runs till Jan. 31, 2026,” the governor said.
He added that the supplementary budget includes lump-sum pension payments aimed at easing the hardship faced by retirees who served the state. According to him, these payments are intended to “ameliorate the plight of pensioners who served the state meritoriously.”
The governor also highlighted rising costs under the state’s health insurance scheme, noting that increased enrolment has resulted in higher equity contribution requirements, thereby placing additional strain on public finances.
Get up to speed
Delta State is currently operating under the 2025 Appropriation Act, which was originally approved with a total budget size of N979.2 billion.
Under the proposed supplementary budget, N140.6 billion is allocated to recurrent expenditure, while N59.4 billion is set aside for capital expenditure.
Governor Oborevwori said rising debt service obligations on foreign loans have pushed spending beyond initial projections. He also cited higher statutory allocations to local governments and the need to fund urgent community-based projects across the state.
According to the governor, these pressures made a formal adjustment to the 2025 fiscal plan necessary to prevent disruptions to governance and service delivery.
What you should know
If the House of Assembly approves the supplementary appropriation, Delta State’s revised 2025 budget will rise to N1.179 trillion.
Under the adjusted structure, N489.4 billion will be devoted to recurrent expenditure, while N689.8 billion will go to capital expenditure.
Recurrent spending pressures are being driven largely by pension obligations, increased health insurance contributions, and higher debt servicing costs. Meanwhile, capital expenditure remains focused on infrastructure development and urgent community projects identified across the state.
The supplementary appropriation bill has already passed its first reading at the Delta State House of Assembly, clearing the way for further legislative scrutiny in the coming days.
For context, in November 2025, Governor Oborevwori presented a N1.664 trillion Appropriation Bill for the 2026 fiscal year to the House. The proposal allocates N499 billion, or 30% of the total estimate, to recurrent expenditure, while N1.165 trillion, representing 70%, is earmarked for capital spending.
In addition, the governor announced in May that Delta State’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) rose sharply from N83 billion in 2023 to N158 billion in 2024, reflecting efforts to strengthen the state’s revenue base.
Emmanuel Bassey is a Financial Expert that has worked in the Banking and Finance Industry for over 15+ years across different banks in Nigeria
