The Sokoto State Government has announced plans to extend its 2027 budget town hall meetings to local government areas to enable citizens to directly communicate their priority needs to the government.
The Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Dr. Bashir Muhammad Achida, disclosed this while launching the 2027 Zonal Budget Discussion for the Southern Zone in Bodinga Local Government Area.
Achida said the initiative was part of Governor Ahmed Aliyu’s policy of inclusive and open governance, which allows citizens to influence government spending by identifying projects and services needed in their communities.
He said feedback from previous consultations had yielded results, noting that most community demands captured in the 2026 budget had either been executed or reached advanced stages of completion before the end of the fiscal year.
The commissioner said extending the consultations to local government areas would make the process more accessible and enable more residents to present their needs for consideration in the 2027 budget.
The Speaker of the Sokoto State House of Assembly, Tukur Bala Bodinga, described the initiative as a complement to the legislature’s responsibilities.
Represented by the Deputy Chief Whip and member representing Yabo Constituency, Abubakar Shehu Shamaki, the Speaker commended the executive’s budget implementation efforts and pledged a prompt legislative process for the proposed 2027 budget.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Buhari Umar, said the consultations were designed to promote inclusivity, transparency and citizens’ ownership of government projects.
He assured participants that the views and recommendations gathered during the meeting would inform the budgetary process.
Similarly, the Sokoto State Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Abba Shehu Tambuwal, described the town hall meeting as an opportunity for citizens to communicate their needs directly to the government for possible implementation.
The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, represented by the District Head of Sifawa, Abdullahi Sa’idu, pledged the support of traditional rulers for government efforts to meet the needs of the people.
In a goodwill message, the Chairman of the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations, Bello Gwadabawa, urged participants to prioritise the most pressing needs of their communities when making submissions.
Representatives of women and persons with disabilities, including Dr. Nafisa Gurori and Murtala Bala, also participated in the discussions.
The meeting attracted traditional and religious leaders, youth and women groups, among other stakeholders.
