Residents and other stakeholders in Lagos State have called for stronger grassroots interventions in the 2027 budget, particularly in support of children living with disabilities, youth vocational training and vulnerable groups.
The demands were made as the Lagos State Government concluded its five-day 2027 Budget Consultative Forum with engagements in Ikorodu and Epe, completing consultations across the state’s five divisions.
At the Epe session held at Jubilee Chalet, traditional rulers presented their proposals to representatives of the state government, outlining development priorities they want reflected in the 2027 budget.
Residents also used the forum to highlight specific challenges affecting families, young people and children.
Bolanle Mustapha, a mother of a child with a spinal cord condition and member of the Spinal Cord Injuries Association of Nigeria, urged the government to provide greater support for children living with disabilities, especially in education and vocational training.
She said some children with disabilities struggled to access schools and obtain necessary learning materials.
Mustapha added that her child, who had completed secondary education and was undergoing vocational training, needed tools to continue learning the trade, but the cost was beyond the family’s means.
She appealed to the government to support children with disabilities so they could acquire skills and become self-reliant.
Representing the youth, the Public Relations Officer of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, Lagos State Chapter, Victor Adobajale, called for youth-focused programmes that would benefit employed and unemployed young people, graduates and those without tertiary education.
Adobajale urged the government to expand vocational training opportunities for young people who did not have access to formal education.
He also advocated the inclusion of vocational training in the secondary-school curriculum, saying students should acquire practical skills that could help them earn a living after leaving school.
The Social Policy Manager, UNICEF Nigeria, Lagos Office, Mohammed Okorie, said citizen participation was important to effective budget planning because residents understood their priorities and needs.
Okorie also said consultations gave government an opportunity to provide feedback on how requests made during previous budget cycles had been addressed.
He stressed the need for children’s interests to be adequately reflected in the budget, particularly those who were unable to speak for themselves.
According to him, child health, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene, education, immunisation and malnutrition should receive attention in the state’s budget planning.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget, Olayinka Ojo, said the consultations were aimed at promoting feedback, accountability and evidence-based engagement.
She explained that requests from stakeholders would be documented, reviewed and prioritised before being considered for inclusion as government interventions.
The Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Ope George, had earlier said the divisional consultations were part of the process of preparing the 2027 budget.
He said the ministry was returning to communities to give an account of previous requests while receiving fresh priorities for the next budget cycle.
The engagements in Epe and Ikorodu also featured updates on infrastructure projects being implemented across the two divisions.
In Epe, projects highlighted included road interventions and infrastructure aligned with the Lagos State Development Plan 2052, as well as developments around the approved new Lekki Airport.
Other projects listed included Mogaji Street in Erepoto, Hon. Sanni Road in Iraye, Epe, Kayode Adesanya Street and the ongoing Omu Creek Link Road and Bridge, Phase 1, in Ibeju-Lekki.
In Ikorodu, work was reported to be progressing on Igbogbo-Baiyeku Road, including grading and compaction of the crushed stone base and sand bed. Drainage desilting and bailing of water from the carriageway were also ongoing.
Renovation of a failed section of Oba Sekunmade Road was also listed among the interventions.
The five-day consultations were organised to review the half-year performance of the 2026 budget, outline the government’s plans for the remainder of the year and its focus areas for 2027, while receiving contributions towards the preparation of the 2027 budget.