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The Lagos State Government is committed to driving its THEME agenda to improve standard of living of the people of the state as well as enhance their welfare.
This, the 2020 Budget will be fashioned towards realizing and achieving the aims and objectives of the agenda.
In order to sensitize the people of the state, the state Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning have embarked on sensitization tour of the three senatorial districts of the state creating awareness among various stakeholders on the mission and vision of the state government with particular reference to the 2020 budget.
The first of such sensitization tour took place in Alimoso local government for Lagos West Senatorial District while the second one took place at Eko Club In Surulere Local Government for the Lagos Central Senatorial District while Ikorodu would host the Lagos East Senatorial District version.
The state Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Sam Egube has been driving this home at the various fora particularly at the sensitization tours.
T.H.E.M.E.S. is the acronym for Traffic Management and Transportation; Health and Environment; Education and Technology; Making Lagos a 21st Century state; Security and Governance.
Egube said there would be completion of ongoing projects and initiation of new ones next year, saying that there would a continuous improvement of urban mass transit system and the Blue Rail line, as well as up-scaling of roads construction and improving connectivity.
He said the budget would also focus on rehabilitation of schools and hospitals and sustaining the ‘Light-up initiative of the state government.
According to the commissioner, during Sanwo-Olu’s campaign, he did promise to run an open government by carrying everybody along, which he said, informed the consultative forum to allow citizens’ participation in governance.
He disclosed that Lagos, by 2030, was expected to be the largest consumer market in the world with Tokyo and India coming next respectively, saying that this growth would have to come with up-scaling of infrastructure, which meant that Lagos would have to embrace the Public-Private Partnership, PPP, arrangement to drive infrastructural renewal as government alone could not do it.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Economic Planning and Budget, Adebayo Sodade said the sensitization tours were aimed at giving credence, as well as greater transparency and accountability to the state’s budget preparation process, stressing that the process had become expedient and very useful in the past as it was used as a avenue not only to update stakeholders on the half-year performance of the budget, but also as an avenue for government to inform stakeholders of the total resources available for the annual budget, among others.
Sodade explained that the 2020 budget was being designed to be people-oriented in order to ensure a ‘Lagos that works for all’ irrespective of age, gender, tribe or status, saying that government looked forward to have a robust citizens’ participation in the budget preparation process by every organisation and bodies.
“You will be expected to present ideas that are beneficial to the people and of utmost importance towards improving the socio-economic wellbeing, wealth and crucial development of this district,” he said.
