The Enugu State Government has allocated N10bn in its 2026 budget as the state’s equity contribution to the first phase of a 135.5km standard gauge rail line. The project marks a major step in Governor Peter Mbah’s plan to build a modern multimodal transport system across the state.
Breakdown of Enugu’s 2026 Transport Commitments
Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Barr. Chris-Roberts Ozongwu, disclosed the details during a briefing at the NUJ Press Centre, Enugu. He said the rail project aligns with the governor’s campaign pledge to integrate rail, tram and inland waterways into Enugu’s transport network.
Furthermore, he noted that the rail line will connect neighbouring states to boost movement within the South East region.
Governor Mbah had earlier presented a N1.62trn budget for 2026, named the Budget of Renewed Momentum. The figure represents a 66.5% increase over the revised N971bn 2025 budget, with N1.3trn for capital expenditure (80%) and N321.2bn for recurrent expenses (20%).
Enugu Air to Expand Fleet to 20 Aircraft
Ozongwu also outlined major aviation investments. He said the government plans to expand Enugu Air’s fleet to 20 aircraft by the end of 2025. The state-owned airline launched in July 2025 with three planes and currently operates six. According to him, the airline’s strong performance encouraged the government to scale up operations.
He added that the state will contribute N10bn to the Akanu Ibiam International Airport concession, part of efforts to make Enugu a regional aviation and logistics hub.
More Investments to Drive Private Sector Growth
The commissioner revealed another N10bn allocation for the vehicle manufacturing programme. He said these investments show the government’s commitment to private-sector-driven growth.
According to Ozongwu, the administration assigned 51.1% of the total budget to the economic sector and 40.1% to the social sector. Consequently, the government expects stronger development outcomes in 2026.
He stated that Enugu achieved about 85% budget performance in 2025 and aims to reach 90% next year. “We have the indices to do that,” he said.
