The Anambra State Government has pledged to incorporate citizens’ development priorities into its 2027 budget to improve public service delivery, strengthen fiscal accountability and ensure that public spending addresses community needs.
The Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Mr Chukwukadibia Okoye, gave the assurance at the 2027 Budget Consultative Forum in Awka, explaining that stakeholders’ submissions would be reviewed for possible inclusion in the proposed budget estimates and Appropriation Bill.
“Every valid contribution made here today will be recorded, reviewed by our technical teams, and integrated into the draft 2027 Budget estimates and the 2027 Appropriation Bill,” Okoye said.
He explained that the budget would align with Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo’s Solution Agenda and Anambra Vision 2070, with priorities including infrastructure, support for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), education, primary healthcare, digital skills and grassroots economic development.
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“The budget is our most powerful strategic tool for economic transformation,” the commissioner stressed, adding that public spending should translate into better roads, equipped health facilities, modern classrooms and sustainable jobs across the state’s 21 local government areas.
Acknowledging competing demands on public resources, Okoye emphasised that citizen participation was essential to identifying urgent needs and determining spending priorities.
“Our ambitions are vast, but our resources are finite. We cannot fund every demand at once, which is precisely why your input is crucial in deciding what must come first,” he noted.
He disclosed that the ministry would present the mid-year performance of the 2026 budget and the state’s 2027 revenue outlook to guide decisions on resource allocation and fiscal planning.
The commissioner urged community leaders, businesses and civil society organisations to contribute to budget preparation and monitor implementation to ensure accountability in the use of public funds.
Earlier, the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs Chiamaka Nnake, highlighted the importance of citizen participation in identifying development needs and ensuring that government programmes delivered tangible benefits.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Mrs Chinyere Nwabachili, and the Acting Director of the ministry’s Planning Department, Mrs Edith Nwachukwu, explained that the forum was designed to promote inclusive planning, transparency and accountability.
Participants, including the traditional ruler of Abacha, Igwe Godwin Odiegwu, and the National President of the Anambra State Town Union Council Youth Wing, Comrade Ken Okoli, encouraged residents to use the consultation to communicate their development priorities to the government.
The proposed budget will determine Anambra’s spending priorities for 2027, with its impact depending on available revenue, approved allocations and effective implementation of projects and public services.
