Written By: Ahmed Rufa’i in Dutse
The Exceptional Leadership and Integrity Promotion Initiative (ELIP Initiative), in collaboration with the Jigawa State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, has organised a town hall meeting to gather citizens’ inputs for possible inclusion in the state’s 2027 budget.
The meeting, held at the Conference Hall of the School for the Deaf and Hearing Impairment in Hadejia, brought together Community-Based Organisations (CBOs), community leaders, religious leaders and Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) from the eight Local Government Areas of Jigawa Northeast Senatorial District.
The annual initiative is aimed at strengthening citizens’ participation in the state budget process by providing grassroots communities with an opportunity to identify and propose projects that address their most pressing developmental needs.
Speaking at the meeting, Executive Director of ELIP Initiative, Alhaji Isa Mustapha Babura, the Sa’in Babura, urged participants to present realistic, well-considered and evidence-based demands capable of delivering meaningful impact in their communities.
Babura stressed the need for community representatives to prioritise projects that directly address critical local needs, saying public resources should be channelled towards interventions with tangible developmental outcomes.
The Director of Budget in the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Alhaji Auwal Mohammed Bello, explained the state budget process, including the various stages involved in its preparation and implementation.
Also speaking, the ministry’s Director of ICT, Alhaji Labaran Salisu Kanya, explained the procedure for submitting citizens’ inputs into the state budget, equipping participants with the knowledge required to effectively articulate and submit their community priorities.
Participants actively contributed to the discussions, presenting a wide range of development proposals and appealing to the relevant authorities to consider their priorities for inclusion in the 2027 state budget.
The town hall meeting reaffirmed the importance of participatory budgeting and provided grassroots stakeholders with a platform to contribute directly to decisions on public spending and community development in Jigawa State.
