… Urges Citizens’ Participation in Budget Preparation Process
The Lagos State government at the weekend reiterated its commitment to the well-being of residents as the preparation for the 2025 budget process begins.
The Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mr. Ope George emphasised this during a media chat about the Y2025 Budget preparation process, urging residents to actively participate by attending and contributing meaningfully at the scheduled venues.
He mentioned that virtual attendance has been arranged to ensure all interested members of the public can participate. George highlighted the importance of citizen engagement in the budget process, noting that many government programmes stem from yearly consultation forums.
In his words, “First, we want Lagosians to know that it is their process; we want them to be involved. You can register for physical attendance in various areas or log on online and participate by sending an email to budget@lagosstate.gov.ng to indicate your interest. We are starting on Tuesday at Eko Club in the Lagos division, moving on to Agidingbi in the Ikeja division, then to the Ikorodu Town Hall, followed by Epe and Badagry”.
Explaining the budget preparation process, he said, “When we are doing our budget process, we plan three years ahead. Every three years, we know what is coming in and what is going out. We review our past performance and set expectations for the next two to three years, making it a continuous process”.
Regarding the balance between infrastructural projects and citizens’ well-being, he said it is essential to push for big infrastructure projects and deliver them while also focusing on social protection, stressing that with the current economic situation, ensuring the well-being of the people is crucial.
He said, “We are going through our mid-year review, and we also conduct quarterly reviews. In the Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget, we monitor month-to-month progress. In terms of revenues, we are doing well, raising our revenues and completing projects. Our budget prioritises capital expenditure, which helps reduce the cost of governance. Overall, as a state, we have done well, but there is always room for improvement. We aim to increase our revenues, both from internal and other sources”.
On ongoing projects and those nearing completion, he averred that the government is close to 85-86 percent completion on the Opebi-Mende-Ojota link bridge, which will significantly improve the Toyin Street, Allen-Opebi area. The Ikeja urban regeneration programme is also close to 85 percent completed. The Blue Line is being extended, and the Red Line is progressing in phases.
“Recently, the Governor launched 15 48-seater capacity ferries, all built locally in Lagos, creating job opportunities. The Ounje Eko (food bank) initiative was highly successful, Mr. Governor also recently cleared all pension backlogs, ensuring that we are fully up-to-date, which was a significant concern for pensioners during previous forums”, he added,
