“Your Voice, Your Budget”: Lagosians Demand More for Health, Sanitation

The Lagos State Government has commenced consultations with residents across the state’s five divisions as part of preparations for the 2027 budget, with the Ikeja Division forum kicking off the exercise. Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Ope George, said the annual consultations give residents an opportunity to influence government priorities and communicate their needs directly to the government.

A Government That Listens

The Lagos State Government has commenced consultations with residents across the state’s five divisions as part of preparations for the 2027 budget, reinforcing its commitment to participatory governance.

The consultation began with the Ikeja Division forum held at the Multipurpose Hall, Radio Lagos, Agidingbi, Ikeja, where residents and community leaders presented their priorities and assessed the implementation of requests made during previous engagements.

What Residents Are Asking For

Residents at the forum demanded more funding for healthcare, sanitation and social protection, with many calling for improved primary healthcare centres and better waste management systems.

Others raised concerns about data collection and management, monitoring and evaluation, budget implementation and economic planning.

The Government’s Response

Speaking at the forum, the Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mr Ope George, said the annual consultations were aimed at giving residents an opportunity to influence government priorities and communicate their needs directly to the government.

“Every year, we go around our IBILE Divisions to listen to our citizens and hear what they want to see in their upcoming budget,” George said.

He explained that the exercise also allows the government to report back to residents on the implementation of requests made during the previous year’s consultation.

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“This year, we’ve come in; we’ve given an account of what they asked us for last year. And we’ve shown them what we’ve done. And they’ve given us what they want for the new budget going on,” he said.

Expanding Citizen Participation

The engagement is also expected to strengthen citizen participation and ensure that residents’ concerns and aspirations are reflected in the state’s development planning and resource allocation.

Members of the public interested in participating virtually were encouraged to indicate their interest by sending an email to budget@lagosstate.gov.ng.

The consultations are expected to continue across the five divisions as the government gathers inputs from residents and other stakeholders ahead of the presentation and consideration of the 2027 Appropriation Bill.

A Lesson for Nigeria

The Lagos State Government’s budget consultation is a model of participatory governance that other states would do well to emulate. When citizens are given a voice in how their taxes are spent, they become stakeholders in the development process rather than passive recipients of government services.

The same politicians who ignore public input will never allow their own children to be excluded from decisions that affect their lives.

For Nigeria, the lesson is clear: governance is not a one-way street. The same leaders who claim to represent the people must be willing to listen to them.

Lagos is showing that when government listens, citizens respond with constructive input. The challenge now is to translate those inputs into tangible outcomes.

Demand a voice in governance. Hold your leaders accountable. And never forget that your tax money deserves to be spent on your priorities.