PART THREE:ANAMBRA SOCIAL SECTOR BUDGETARY ANALYSIS: LEAVING NO ONE BEHIND
By Christian ABURIME
In Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo’s ₦757.9 billion “Changing Gears 3.0” budget, the Social Sector receives the second-highest percentage increase among all major sectors—a remarkable 31.4% rise over the 2025 allocation. This surge is not charity disguised as governance; it is the deliberate, progressive heartbeat of an administration whose founding political philosophy—“Onye aghana nwanne ya” (leave no one behind)—remains the guiding compass of policy and planning.
While roads, industries, and innovation hubs naturally dominate public attention, the substantial expansion in social-sector spending is the quiet engine ensuring Anambra’s development remains inclusive, sustainable, and profoundly human-centred. It affirms that Governor Soludo’s vision of a “livable and prosperous homeland” is not the preserve of investors or the middle class alone, but extends fully to the woman in a remote village who has never seen a functional health centre, the untaxed street hawker striving for survival, and the child who may otherwise never step into a classroom.
Under the enhanced livelihood programme, tens of thousands of poor rural and peri-urban households will receive 10–15 high-value economic trees—including oil palm, coconut, ukwa, bitter kola, and soursop—alongside fertiliser and extension services. Crucially, by 2026, this initiative will scale up to cover all 326 political wards, transforming it into one of the most ambitious rural wealth-creation strategies in the state’s history.
The budget also provides for direct cash grants ranging from ₦100,000 to ₦500,000 for verified micro and small enterprises in every ward. Targeted primarily at women, youth, and persons with disabilities, these grants are not mere palliatives. Beneficiaries will undergo structured business training and will be linked to cooperative financing models, ensuring sustainability beyond the initial capital injection.
Governor Soludo’s zero-tax policy for the informal economy will not only continue but expand. Petty traders, vulcanisers, wheelbarrow pushers, okada riders, and market women will remain fully exempt from state and local government taxes and levies. This policy reduces daily survival pressure on low-income earners and helps formalise trust between government and citizens.
Final settlement of 17-year outstanding arrears to former Water Corporation workers;
Increased monthly stipends for the elderly and indigent listed in the state’s social register;
Expansion of free healthcare services beyond maternal care to include more chronic conditions for the poorest.
The government will also continue its co-funding partnerships with communities to build town halls, civic centres, skills-acquisition facilities, and women/youth development hubs. The Anambra State Social Protection Agency will be fully activated, supported by a unified beneficiary register integrated with the Resident Identity Database—ensuring transparency, coordination, and impact tracking.
First, poverty levels will fall significantly. The combined effect of perennial fruit trees and targeted enterprise grants is projected to lift 100,000–150,000 households above the poverty line within three to five years. Unlike short-lived handouts, these measures create long-term, self-sustaining income streams.
Second, by deliberately directing resources to every ward—urban, semi-urban, and rural—the budget will reduce pressure on Awka, Onitsha, and Nnewi, slowing the chaotic migration patterns that overstretch infrastructure while draining rural communities of young talent.
Third, inclusive development enhances peace and security. When the poorest citizens feel acknowledged, supported, and empowered, grievances that fuel unrest gradually dissipate. In this sense, the 31.4% increase is not only social spending; it is a strategic investment in long-term stability.
Fourth, direct injections of funds into microenterprises will circulate rapidly within local markets, stimulating demand for goods and services and creating a virtuous economic cycle that ultimately boosts the formal sector.
In a Nigeria increasingly polarised along class and ethnic lines, Anambra is doubling down on the principle that progress must be shared. This strengthens the state’s collective spirit—the same spirit that has long sustained its exceptional diaspora remittances and vibrant community development tradition.
Thus, the 31.4% increase in the Social Sector stands as the moral anchor of the 2026 budget. While the Economic Sector builds factories and the Infrastructure Sector lays asphalt and steel, the Social Sector ensures that every son and daughter of Anambra has a stake in the journey to the future.
It is the difference between growth that merely raises GDP numbers and development that restores dignity and expands human potential. In a country where the poor are often invisible in policymaking, Governor Soludo has placed them at the very centre of his second-term agenda. That is not only good governance—it is visionary leadership rooted in compassion and an abiding love for the people.
Christian Aburime is Press Secretary to Governor of Anambra State Prof Charles Soludo
