Sokoto to extend 2027 budget town hall meetings to LGAs

The Sokoto State Government has announced plans to extend its 2027 budget town hall meetings to local government areas to enable residents to present their priority needs directly to the government.

The Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Dr Bashir Muhammad Achida, disclosed this during the launch of the 2027 Zonal Budget Discussion for the Southern Zone, held in Bodinga Local Government Area.

Achida said the initiative was part of Governor Ahmed Aliyu’s commitment to inclusive and transparent governance, where citizens are actively involved in determining government priorities and development projects.

He explained that the extension of the consultations to local government areas would make it easier for residents to participate in the budget preparation process and communicate their needs to the government.

According to him, the previous year’s consultations had yielded positive results, as most of the demands presented by communities and captured in the 2026 budget had either been implemented or reached advanced stages of completion before the end of the fiscal year.

The commissioner urged participants to use the opportunity to present genuine and impactful demands that would improve the living conditions of residents across the state.

In his remarks, the Speaker of the Sokoto State House of Assembly, Tukur Bala Bodinga, described the budget town hall meeting as a significant initiative that complemented the responsibilities of elected representatives in articulating the needs of their constituents.

Bodinga, who was represented by the Deputy Chief Whip of the House and member representing Yabo Constituency, Abubakar Shehu Shamaki, commended the executive arm for its commitment to implementing the current year’s budget.

He also pledged the legislature’s support for prompt consideration of the proposed 2027 budget when presented to the House.

Similarly, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Buhari Umar, said citizens’ participation in budget preparation was essential to promoting inclusiveness, transparency and public ownership of government policies and programmes.

He assured participants that the views and recommendations gathered during the consultation would serve as valuable inputs in preparing the state’s 2027 budget.

The Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Sokoto State chapter, Alhaji Abba Shehu Tambuwal, described the town hall meeting as a golden opportunity for citizens to communicate their development priorities directly to the government.

He urged participants to take advantage of the exercise to identify projects and interventions that would address the pressing needs of their communities.

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, represented by the District Head of Sifawa, Alhaji Abdullahi Sa’idu, reaffirmed the support of traditional rulers for the state government’s efforts to improve the welfare of the people.

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The traditional institution, he said, would continue to support initiatives aimed at promoting development and addressing the needs of communities across the state.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations, Comrade Bello Gwadabawa, urged participants to prioritise their communities’ most pressing needs to ensure that the budget delivers meaningful benefits to residents.

Other speakers included the representative of women’s groups, Dr Nafisa Gurori, and the representative of persons living with disabilities, Murtala Bala, who joined other stakeholders in contributing to discussions on the state’s development priorities.

The meeting was attended by traditional and religious leaders, youth and women’s groups, as well as other stakeholders from the Southern Zone.