The Lagos State Government has continued a citizen engagement drive ahead of the 2026 budget with a consultative forum in the Lagos division, where residents tabled their priorities and concerns.
Speaking at the second day of the event held at the Eko Club in Surulere, the Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Ope George, said the exercise was part of the yearly process of engaging residents across the five IBILE divisions of the state — Ikorodu, Badagry, Ikeja, Lagos Island, and Epe.
“What we do every year is go around the divisions to speak to our people, hear from them, and also give an account of what has happened with the last budget,” George said. “This is our second forum, and we’re here to listen to the people of this division and show them how far we’ve gone in implementing their earlier inputs.”
The commissioner noted that Lagos had achieved nearly 80 per cent budget performance in 2025, describing the trend as encouraging.
“We’ve had positive responses from Island residents who acknowledged progress on infrastructure projects they requested last year. But we also know social protection, healthcare, and education are areas we need to ramp up,” he said.
The Chairman of the Committee on Economic Planning and Budget in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Saad Olumoh, urged residents to participate in the forum and present the needs of their various localities.
Some residents used the platform to highlight pressing community needs.
The Baale of Oro Okeland in Eti Osa, Chief Bashir Afolami, appealed to the state government to urgently rehabilitate the Oro Oke road, which connects schools and the only health centre within the Ikota Resettlement Scheme.
“The road is critical because without it, children cannot access the only primary and junior secondary schools in the area. Teachers are even posting themselves out because the place is inaccessible,” the chief lamented.
