Following the passage of the 2027–2029 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) by the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, the state government has set timelines for budget estimates for the 2028 and 2029 medium-term economic planning.
The legislative endorsement occurred during a plenary session held at the Assembly Complex along Nkaliki Road, Abakaliki, following the submission of the state government’s multi-year fiscal projections, which include proposed budget sizes for the 2028 and 2029 fiscal years prior to the final vote.
Transmitted via an executive communication signed by Governor Nwifuru, the MTEF outlines the financial plan and economic policy direction of the state over the next three fiscal years.
Reading the Governor’s letter on the floor of the House, the Leader of the House, Hon. Kingsley Ikoro, revealed that the projected budget size for the 2027 fiscal year stands at Five Hundred and Sixteen Billion, Five Hundred and Sixty Million, Three Hundred and Sixty-Two Thousand, One Hundred and Fifty-Three Naira (₦516,560,362,153) only.
The document also incorporates the proposed expenditure estimates for 2028 and 2029 to guide the state’s medium-term economic planning.
Speaking on the framework, the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Chief Moses Ije Odunwa, explained that the MTEF was meticulously prepared in alignment with the Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) and the Budget Policy Statement (BPS) for 2027–2029, as previously ratified by the State Executive Council.
During the debate on the floor, several lawmakers threw their weight behind the executive proposal. Contributing to the discussion, Hon. Nwodo Aloysius Nwodo (Ebonyi North West Constituency), Hon. Henry Eze (Ishielu North), Hon. Kelvin Kenechukwu Okeh (Ezza North East), and Hon. Chinyere Nwogbaga (Ebonyi North East) commended the framework as realistic and people-oriented.
They noted that the fiscal blueprint aligns seamlessly with Governor Nwifuru’s “People’s Charter of Needs” agenda, which prioritises infrastructure, human capital development, education, healthcare, agriculture, and workers’ welfare.
In a related development during the same sitting, the lawmakers also approved a separate request from the Governor seeking legislative backing for Ebonyi State to participate in the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) Receivables Discounting Infrastructure Financing Programme II for State Accounts, which was endorsed through a voice vote.
With the passage of the MTEF and the FAAC financing resolution, the legislative groundwork is now complete for Governor Nwifuru to formally present the 2027 Appropriation Bill to the Assembly while clearing the path for Ebonyi State to access the federal government’s infrastructure financing scheme.
