Governor Siminalayi Fubara has officially disclosed that Rivers State currently maintains a cash reserve of approximately ₦600 billion in its treasury. The Governor made this definitive fiscal revelation on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, during the commissioning of the 14.2 km Obodhi-Ozochi road in the Ahoada East and West Local Government Areas.
This disclosure marks a significant moment in sub-national financial reporting in Nigeria, as it represents a doubling of the state’s liquid assets following the lifting of a six-month state of emergency earlier this year.
Governor Fubara clarified the trajectory of these funds, stating that his administration had reserved over ₦300 billion in the state’s coffers before the declaration of emergency rule in March 2025.
Upon the restoration of constitutional order and his return to full administrative duties in September, the balance was found to have grown to the current ₦600 billion.
The Governor attributed this growth to a disciplined fiscal approach and the continued accrual of state revenues during the administrative transition. This high level of liquidity provides the state with a robust buffer as it moves to implement its ₦1.48 trillion 2025 budget, which was recently passed with a heavy focus on capital expenditure.
However, a critical analysis of this financial position reveals a complex trade-off between fiscal prudence and developmental urgency. While a ₦600 billion surplus suggests a strong credit profile for Rivers State, it has also sparked intense debate regarding the “opportunity cost” of idle capital.
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Members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, have already raised counterpoints, arguing that maintaining such massive savings is contradictory when public infrastructure, particularly in the education and health sectors, continues to face neglect.
The Assembly contends that these funds should be more aggressively deployed to remediate deteriorating school facilities rather than being held in reserve.
In response to these concerns and to maintain public trust, Governor Fubara has committed to a rigorous transparency timeline. He vowed that within the next six months, his administration would provide comprehensive and verifiable evidence of all revenue receipts and expenditures.
He maintained that his professional background in the state’s accounting department, dating back through multiple previous administrations, ensures that every penny is documented with institutional precision.
This promised disclosure is expected to provide the financial markets and the public with a clearer picture of how the state intends to balance its unprecedented savings with its massive ₦1.077 trillion capital expenditure targets for the 2025 fiscal year
