Borno asked to utilise citizens input in budgets

Borno State Government has been called upon to improve fiscal transparency by utilizing citizens’ input in annual budgets.

Programme Assistant, Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth and Advancement (YIAGA), Olaniyan Sanusi, who presented a paper on Youth and Gender Responsive Budgeting in Borno State, at a policy dialogue in Maiduguri, said though the government involves citizens in the budget preparation, there was need to utilise their inputs to ensure transparency.

He said the youth have a vital role to play in both budget preparation and monitoring,

According to him, 80% of the capital projects in the 2021 budgets of the state were implemented in the central senatorial district, 16% in the south and 4% in the north.

The state budgeted N248.39 billion in 2021 with N179, 261,364,000 as capital allocation representing 72% while the sum of N108.86 billion was budgeted in 2020.

In 2020, central district received 90% of the capital project while north and south got 4% each.

“Relative to 2020, this is an improvement towards ensuring equitable spread of projects across the state,” he said.

He further said the 2021 budget gives priority to social sector projects than those classified as economic sectors.

Responding, Director, Research, Planning and Statistics, Ministry of Finance Budget and Economic Planning, Alkali Mohammad, said the annual budget is dynamic and that in the previous budgets northern and southern districts used to receive more capital allocation.

He said the northern and southern districts were ravaged by insurgency and that displaced people have relocated to Maiduguri in the central districts where public intuitions and infrastructure are overstretched.

He, however, said as peace gradually returns; projects are being earmarked for returnees including thousands of houses in the northern and southern districts.