According to reports, the Imo state government budgeted #1 billion for Imo State University, Owerri (IMSU), for capital expenditure, #800 million for Imo State Polytechnic, Omumma, and #1.2 million for the Imo State Teaching Hospital Orlu for the 2026 fiscal year.

It was gathered that despite the budgetary provision, the state government made no actual expenditure on capital budgetary provisions in the first six months of the year 2026, despite allocating a total amount of #3 billion to the three institutions according to the state’s 2026 Second Quarter Budget Performance Report.

A government House source who spoke to this reporter anonymously said, “Capital expenditures are aimed at executing projects for infrastructural development. Regrettably, the reports shows that none of the institutions reordered any expenditure against their respective allocations between January and June 2026. The Imo State University and the Imo State Polytechnic are both under the Ministry of Tertiary and Technical Education. A total of #36.508 billion was set aside for the ministry’s capital expense and that of government institutions under it for the 2026 fiscal year. However, of this amount only spent by the end of the second quarter representing 5.0 percent of the total allocation.

It was further gathered that the ministry had an allocation of #32.708 billion with #1.840 billion recorded as year-to-date expenditure, representing 5.6 percent performance.

“But the budget performance report shows that the allocations earmarked specifically for the three tertiary institutions remained untouched. 

The Imo State University, Owerri, received a N1 billion budget provision but recorded zero expenditure in the first six months, leaving the entire N1billion balance unspent.

Similarly, the Imo State Polytechnic, Omuma, was allocated N800 million for the year, but the report recorded no expenditure against the provision as of the end of June. 

The University of Innovation, Science and Technology, Omuma, which was allocated N2 billion, also recorded zero expenditure during the period under review.

Taken together, the three institutions under the tertiary education sector had N3.8 billion appropriated to them, but none of the funds had been spent by the end of the second quarter.

The situation was also recorded in the health sector, where the Imo State University Teaching Hospital, Orlu, had a N1.2 billion budget provision but recorded zero expenditure during the six-month period.

The teaching hospital was not the only health institution with unspent allocations.

The Imo State Specialist Hospital, Umuguma, was allocated N2.1 billion as capital expenditure and also recorded zero expenditure, while the Health Management Board had N250 million with no expenditure recorded.

The Ministry of Health had an overall 2026 capital expenditure budget of N52.657 billion.

By the end of June, only N2.576 billion had been spent, representing 4.9 per cent performance against the annual allocation.

The ministry itself had a N45.307 billion allocation and recorded N991.849 million in expenditure, representing just 2.2 per cent performance.

The Imo State Primary Health Development Agency was the major exception within the health sector, recording N1.584 billion in year-to-date expenditure against its N2.15 billion capital  expenditure budget, representing 73.7 per cent performance.

The agency had received a N100 million second-quarter performance allocation and recorded significantly higher year-to-date spending.

The poor implementation recorded in the tertiary education and health institutions came amid similarly low or zero expenditure across several other sectors of the state budget.

For instance, the Ministry of Water Resources had an annual capital allocation of N46.683 billion but recorded no expenditure in the first six months of the year.

The Ministry of Environment and Sanitation, which had a N10 billion allocation, also recorded zero expenditure.

Likewise, the Ministry of Entrepreneurship, Skill Acquisition and Social Responsibilities had a N6.472 billion capital expenditure provision but recorded no expenditure.

The Ministry of Local Government, Community and Chieftaincy Affairs had N15.197 billion allocated to it as capital expenditure, yet no expenditure was recorded against the provision during the period.

The Ministry of Lands and Physical Planning, with a N830 million capital  allocation, also recorded zero expenditure.

The Ministry of Housing, Urban Renewal and New Cities Development had a N10 billion allocation but recorded only N137.5 million in year-to-date expenditure, representing 1.4 per cent implementation.

In the social services sector, which had a combined allocation of N143.614 billion, only N5.967 billion had been spent by the end of the second quarter, representing 4.2 per cent performance.

The Ministry of Education, Primary and Secondary had an annual allocation of N24.115 billion and recorded N1.55 billion in year-to-date expenditure, representing 6.4 per cent performance.

However, the Ministry of Education itself, with N17.415 billion allocated, recorded no expenditure, while the Imo State Universal Basic Education Board recorded N1.55 billion against its N3.5 billion allocation.

The figures contained in the Q2 budget performance report indicate that substantial portions of the state’s 2026 budget remained unimplemented halfway through the fiscal year.

For the three tertiary institutions and the teaching hospital, the non-release or non-expenditure is particularly significant given the essential roles of the institutions in providing higher education, technical training and healthcare services.

As of June 2026, N3 billion earmarked specifically for Imo State University, Imo State Polytechnic and Imo State University Teaching Hospital, Orlu, remained unspent, according to the official budget performance figures.

In a separate development, it was gathered that a review of the state’s approved 2026 budget shows that #400 million was allocated for the renovation of the state governor’s lodge in Lagos.

The budget also provides N200 million for the purchase of a generator for the State House of Assembly. Details in the document indicate that the amount is earmarked for a 650KVA Perkins generator set.

Further breakdown reveals an additional N30 million set aside for generator installations at the lodges of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker. 

A cross section of Imo people have expressed reservation over the development which they described as nothing but ways of siphoning public funds by those in authority.