2025 Budget: Gov Mbah to Spend N41 Billion on Four Aircrafts for ‘Enugu Air’ Airline, Allocates N320 billion to Education

Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has reiterated the resolve of the state government to float an airline, Enugu Air, within the next few months.

The Governor while presenting the 2025 budget to the Enugu State House of Assembly revealed that the state has earmarked N41. 132,463,000 to purchase four aircrafts for the take off of the proposes airline, and construct a Cargo Terminal at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu.

The Enugu State 2025 budget is put at N971billion and titled, “Budget of Exponential Growth and Inclusive Prosperity.”

Presenting the budget, Governor Mbah announced that 33% or N320.6billion will be invested in the education sector as the government plans to use education as the most potent weapon against poverty in the state.

To buttress the government’s determination to revive ailing infrastructure in the state, Governor said that the government has allocated 86% or N837.9billion Capital Expenditure, of the 2025   for Capital expenditure, while 14% or N133. Billion will go for recurrent expenditure.

Announcing development plan for the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, Mbah stated that, “In the area of Transport, we will be spending a total of N41,132,463,000 to expand Enugu Air with the acquisition of 4 additional aircraft. In addition, we will be consummating the concessioning of the Akanu Ibiam international airport as well as the construction of an international cargo terminal

“We will also be floating a new taxi scheme in collaboration with the private sector to modernize urban and inter-urban transportation for Ndi Enugu.”

The Governor told the members of the Enugu parliament that, his administration was not too bothered about what he called a “dreary” economic outlook in the country, but rather determined to be “bullish” in its approach to the development of the state as he is in firm belief that it can be done.

He said:

“In crafting this budget, we have sort to continue to lay the right foundation in Enugu to enhance the economy and attract even more private investment.

“In spite of the dreary economic environment across the country, for us here in Enugu, we have elected to remain bullish in our aspirations, and to double down on our commitment to elevate our state to top three status in terms of GDP nationally, and eradicate poverty from our midst.

“Indeed, we see this as a vindication of our previously espoused view that sustainable national growth can really only be driven from the sub-national units to the federal levels, and not the other way round as we have attempted to do to date.

“It is on account of this that we are proposing to the House of Assembly today, a budget with a total envelope of N971,084,000,000 as against the budget for 2024 fiscal year which totaled N521,561,386,000

“This represents an 86.4 per cent increase from the 2024 revised budget.

“The budget is broken down as follows: N133,140,000,000 as Recurrent Expenditure and N837,944,000,000 as Capital Expenditure.”

Governor Mbah has embarked on massive urban renewal projects in Enugu state, with massive investment in tourism, social services including water, education, security and environmental protection among other critical sectors.