The Rivers State House of Assembly has passed the 2026–2028 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) submitted to it for consideration by Siminalayi Fubara, the state governor.
Martin Amaewhule, speaker of the State Assembly, had, during Thursday’s plenary, acknowledged receipt of the MTEF from Governor Fubara, and the document was later laid before the House by Major Jack, the Majority Leader.
The Assembly reportedly deferred debate on the document to the next legislative day for “proper, detailed scrutiny.”
The lawmakers passed the MTEF on Friday.
The MTEF projected N1.84 trillion as the spending estimate for 2026, with over N400 billion in recurrent expenditure and over N1.4 trillion for capital expenditure.
Amaewhule said the document provides a financial blueprint for the state for the next three years. He, however, pointed out that the revenue projections were far below current economic realities.
He said: “Everything we wrote in this document is well below expectations, given the global economy. It assumes we are doing less, but the reality is that we are receiving far more than the document anticipates.”
Analysts say that the Assembly’s passage of the MTEF opens the way for the governor to present the long-awaited budget.
Alozie Charles, on his Facebook wall, described the MTEF as “a key financial planning document that must be presented and considered before any annual budget can be legally debated or passed. In simple terms, it serves as the foundation upon which the state’s budget is built.
“With Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s MTEF now formally transmitted and read on the floor of the Rivers State House of Assembly, an important procedural hurdle has been crossed.
“This development demonstrates the administration’s commitment to following due process and ensuring that the proposed 2026 budget moves through the proper legal channels.
“Beyond the politics, the focus remains on creating a framework that will allow government projects, infrastructure development, and public services to continue uninterrupted for the benefit of Rivers people,” he said.
Governor Fubara’s submission of the MTEF to the Assembly marks a significant engagement between the executive and legislative arms of government.
The Assembly last met in February 2026, when it screened and confirmed Fubara’s commissioner-nominees before adjourning indefinitely.
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