Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State has made it mandatory for all local government (LG) chairmen to hold citizens’ engagement forums before preparing their annual budgets.
He said the directive is aimed at ensuring that local government projects and initiatives directly address the needs and priorities of the grassroots communities, mirroring the participatory budget process already in place at the state level.
Oyebanji issued the mandate yesterday during a Town Hall Meeting and Citizens’ Engagement session with people from the Ekiti North and Ekiti Central Senatorial Districts, held in Otun Ekiti and Ijero Ekiti, respectively.
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The meetings were part of the state’s preparation for the 2026 budget.
“The 2026 budgets of the local governments should not be prepared without consultation with people living in such local government areas.
“This is very important and I want our council chairmen to consider doing what we are doing in terms of citizens’ engagement for budget preparation,” Oyebanji stated.
He charged the Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Segun Ojo, to mobilise his colleagues to key into the consultation process, directing them to hold meetings with community leaders, traditional rulers, and stakeholders to receive project requests for inclusion in their respective budgets.
Representatives from all 10 local government areas in both senatorial districts used the forum to thank the Governor for completed projects and empowerment programs.
They also tabled numerous requests for the 2026 state budget, including: Township and inter-community roads, improved electricity (including transformers), potable water, hospitals and health centres and security measures.
Responding to the frequent requests for transformers, Oyebanji pointed out that, with improved allocations, local government chairmen should be able to provide such amenities within their domains.
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He pledged to allocate a significant portion of the 2026 budget to credit facilities for artisans and the informal sector to boost the grassroots economy.
The governor reaffirmed that his regular interface with citizens fulfils the covenant he made at his inauguration, expressing satisfaction that the annual engagements have yielded tangible dividends across the state.
