The Anambra State Government has urged citizens, community leaders, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to actively participate in the preparation of the state’s 2027 budget to ensure that government spending reflects the needs and aspirations of the people.
The Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Hon. Chukwukadibia Okoye, made the call during the Anambra State Stakeholders’ Consultative Forum on the 2027 Budget held in Awka.
The forum brought together representatives of the private sector, development partners, ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), community groups, persons with disabilities and other stakeholders to discuss development priorities ahead of the 2027 fiscal year.
Speaking at the event, Okoye said the state’s fiscal policy for 2027 would focus on fiscal discipline, increased internally generated revenue, sustained capital investment and improved public service delivery.
He explained that the government would rely on the Medium-Term Fiscal Strategy (MTFS), Medium-Term Sector Strategies (MTSS) and the States Action on Business Enabling Reforms (SABER) programme to guide resource allocation and align government spending with its development objectives.
According to him, the major priorities for 2027 include infrastructure development and urban regeneration, support for businesses and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), human capital development, social services and economic inclusion at the grassroots.
Okoye stressed that the government was committed to incorporating community needs identified through the consultation process into its capital expenditure plans.
He noted that the state budget was more than an administrative document, describing it as a reflection of the government’s priorities and its response to the needs of the people.
Presenting the state’s Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and fiscal outlook, the commissioner projected economic growth of approximately 4.9 per cent in 2027, increasing to 5.2 per cent by 2029.
He also disclosed that government expenditure was projected to rise from about ₦813.7 billion in 2027 to ₦1.3 trillion in 2029.
The commissioner said the government would place greater emphasis on internally generated revenue to finance its development programmes and reduce excessive dependence on borrowing.
Although the state was not keen on borrowing, he explained that loans could be considered when necessary for developmental projects, provided they remained sustainable and public funds were prudently managed.
Okoye further urged residents to fulfil their tax obligations, noting that citizens who contribute to government revenue should also demand accountability and improved public services.
He identified persistent inflation and climate-related challenges as potential threats to the state’s fiscal outlook but expressed optimism about improved oil revenue receipts and greater economic stability.
Also speaking, the Secretary to the State Government, Chiamaka Nnake, described the consultative forum as an important platform for obtaining citizens’ contributions before the formal budget preparation process begins.
Nnake acknowledged that financial constraints had prevented the government from meeting some demands raised during previous consultations. However, she encouraged residents to continue expressing their concerns, particularly regarding their fundamental needs and community development.
She said the government’s emphasis on capital expenditure, which accounts for more than 70 per cent of the budget, demonstrated its commitment to development.
The SSG urged participants to make constructive contributions that would help produce a budget capable of addressing the needs and aspirations of ordinary residents.
Earlier, the Acting Director of Planning in the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Mrs Edith Nwachukwu, emphasised the importance of citizen participation in ensuring that budgetary allocations reflected the actual needs of communities, particularly poor and vulnerable groups.
She explained that the consultation process was designed to give citizens, civil society organisations and community groups an opportunity to influence government priorities through a bottom-up budgeting approach.
According to her, sustained public participation would strengthen community ownership of development projects, improve budget credibility and encourage cooperation between government institutions and citizens.
Nwachukwu maintained that the forum should not be treated as a one-off event but as part of a continuous engagement through which community priorities would be identified, incorporated into the budget and monitored during implementation.
In a presentation titled “Citizens’ Engagement and Participation in Budgeting,” the Co-Chair of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) in Anambra State, Prince Chris Azor, identified inadequate public participation as one of the challenges affecting Nigeria’s budgeting process.
Azor argued that citizens’ involvement should extend beyond the preparation of budget documents to include monitoring projects and tracking the implementation of approved allocations.
He noted that Anambra State had made progress in promoting participatory budgeting, adding that the state joined the Open Government Partnership in 2017 to strengthen transparency, accountability and public engagement in governance.
He urged residents to demand explanations whenever they were excluded from budgetary processes, stressing that public participation was essential to ensuring that government expenditure reflected the people’s priorities.
The consultative forum provided an opportunity for communities and other interest groups to identify priority projects and submit recommendations to guide the preparation of Anambra State’s 2027 budget.
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