Lagos State government has restated commitment to continued investments and developmental gains, stressing that the state prioritises residents’ requests in the budget preparation based on the needs across the state and available resources.
Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mr Ope George, stated this at the 2027 Budget Consultative Forum for the Lagos Island Division, held at the MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos, where residents and stakeholders presented their priorities for consideration in the state’s 2027 budget.
Leading the residents’ voices at the division were traditional rulers led by the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, represented by the White Cap Chiefs; the Olu of Iwaya-Yaba kingdom, Oba Suleiman Oloko; the Onisabe of Igbosabe, Oba Owolabi Adeniyi and Oba Onisiwo of Tomaro and Abagbo Kingdom, Oba Mohammed Yusuf amongst other stakeholders.
The commissioner explained that the government was unable to implement every request presented during previous consultations at once, noting that submissions from the different divisions had to be assessed and prioritised based on the resources available to the state.
He said requests made by residents were collated and subjected to a prioritisation process, with government subsequently identifying those that could be concluded or taken forward as ongoing interventions.
According to him, the approach was necessary because the state government had to consider competing needs across the different divisions while working within its available resources.
George said the process was not about disregarding residents’ requests, but about determining priorities that could realistically be addressed within the state’s resources and development plans.
He also acknowledged the contributions of Lagos residents to the growth and development of the state, expressing optimism that the state would continue to build on its investments and developmental achievements.
Also speaking, Chairman, House committee on Economic Planning and Budget, Hon. Sa’ad Olumoh, said the state’s development strategies continued to evolve in response to emerging challenges and the changing needs of residents.
Olumoh said the Infrastructure Master Plan and Development Plan had remained important guides for the developmental efforts of the Lagos State Government, while stressing the need for government’s strategies to remain responsive to prevailing realities.
He described the consultative forum as an important stage in the preparation of the 2027 budget, noting that stakeholders were being given the opportunity to identify and present their needs and priorities for the coming year.
The lawmaker explained that the inputs from the various consultations would be articulated and brought into the 2027 budget proposal before being transmitted to the Lagos State House of Assembly for scrutiny and approval.
He said the process would subsequently culminate in the presentation of the approved budget to the governor for assent, after which it would become the state’s budget for the year.
Olumoh noted that the consultative process therefore provided an avenue for stakeholders to contribute to the priorities that would guide government’s programmes and spending plans for 2027.
Earlier in her remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget, Mrs Olayinka Ojo, said the consultative process was designed to ensure that citizens’ contributions lead to measurable government action and that residents could return to see evidence of progress on issues raised during previous consultations.
Ojo said the forum provided an opportunity for the government to present evidence of progress on projects and programmes arising from earlier engagements, while also giving beneficiaries and members of communities the opportunity to share testimonies on how government interventions were affecting their lives and livelihoods.
The engagement is part of the Lagos State Government’s ongoing consultations with stakeholders across the state’s five divisions as it prepares the 2027 budget.
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