Stakeholders in Nasarawa State, North Central Nigeria, have called on the state government, through its Ministry of Finance, Budget and Planning, to increase the allocation to the agricultural sector to 50 per cent in the 2026 fiscal year in a bid to strengthen food security across the state.
The call was made during the 2025 Citizens’ Budget Town Hall Consultation held on Friday in Akwanga Local Government Area. The consultation, organised by the Nasarawa State Ministry of Finance, Budget and Planning, served as a platform for citizens to contribute to the development of the 2026 budget.
Mr. Daniel Alanji, a participant from Akwanga LGA, emphasised that agriculture deserves the highest priority in the budget due to its direct impact on livelihoods and food security.
“50 per cent allocation needs to be given to agricultural sector because no man can work with an empty stomach; therefore, agricultural sector needs to be given topmost priority.”
Also, participants from Akwanga, Nasarawa Eggon, and Wamba local government areas — Bulus Doji, Charles Namo, Anzaku Obadiya, and Halima Haruna — all supported Alanji’s call for increased allocation to agriculture.
They also made suggestions and presented the needs of their various communities, which include the early supply of fertilisers to farmers, improved security and the provision of infrastructures such as roads, schools and health facilities.
Responding to the requests made by various communities, the Director of Budget at the Nasarawa State Ministry of Finance, Budget and Planning, Mr. Akolo Peters Ataka, said the aim of the meeting was to bring together non-state actors on a single platform to discuss and contribute to the planning process for the state’s 2026 budget
He said all their requests would be looked into and captured in the 2026 budget in order to stimulate transparency and accountability in the governance and budgeting process.
Meanwhile, the state commissioner of finance, budget and planning, Munira Abdullahi, said that budgeting in the state is no longer a top-down affair but rather a people-centred process where the voices, needs, and aspirations of citizens shape government priorities.
The commissioner, represented by the permanent secretary of the ministry, Mr Polinus Felix Wahe, told the people that the platform is useful for them to articulate the real needs of the people and communities the participants represent.
She further said the theme for this year’s consultation, “fostering collaboration on resources allocation – key to participation in governance”, was apt, as it seeks to ensure that every citizen, regardless of background or status, has a say on how government resources are allocated.