Ondo Assembly approves ₦775.5bn supplementary budget for 2026

By Boye Oyeyemi

The Ondo State House of Assembly has approved a ₦775.518 billion supplementary budget for the 2026 fiscal year to fund ongoing projects and address emerging development needs across the state.

The approval followed consideration of the report of the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation on the revised appropriation proposal submitted by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

Aiyedatiwa had on September 9 presented a revised 2026 Appropriation Bill of ₦769.384 billion to the lawmakers, up from the initial ₦524.411 billion budget approved for the year.

Presenting the committee’s report, its Chairman, Oluwole Ogunmolasuyi, said the revised budget was designed to accelerate development across sectors and provide funding to sustain ongoing projects.

However, Ogunmolasuyi criticised the performance of the Ondo State Internal Revenue Service, saying its activities were not sufficiently aligned with other government agencies to meet the revenue target contained in the 2026 budget.

He urged the state government to take measures to improve internally generated revenue, stressing that stronger revenue mobilisation was necessary to support the administration’s EASE Agenda.

Meanwhile, House Leader Olatunji Oshati moved the motion for the bill’s passage, which was seconded by Abayomi Akinruntan, while Speaker Olamide Oladiji commended the finance committee and said the budget would support infrastructure development and improve residents’ welfare.

The lawmakers also referred a bill seeking to raise the retirement age and improve the remuneration of magistrates and Grade A Customary Court presidents to 65 years to the Committee on Judiciary and Public Petitions, while the proposed Rufus Giwa University of Agriculture, Science and Technology, Owo, was referred to relevant committees for scrutiny.