The Center for Women and Adolescent Empowerment Yola has taken a significant step towards involving citizens in the development of the 2025 local government budget.
The resolve came at a meeting, organized by the Coalition of NGOs in Adamawa , took place at the Centre in Yola, with key stakeholders from various communities present.
In an address by the Chair of the Coalition, Tijjani Ubandoma, underscored the importance of citizen involvement in budget decisions.
Another Member in the coalition, Abdulhamid Modibbo who made a presentation on participatory budgeting, highlighted its role in promoting transparency, accountability, and active citizen participation in governance.
Modibbo explained the steps of the participatory budgeting process, from identifying community priorities to resource allocation and monitoring implementation.
The presentation set the stage for a group discussion, where citizens expressed their needs and priorities for the 2025 budget.
Some of the Key areas identified are insfrastructur, education, Health, Youth Empowerment and Agriculture as well as security.
In response to the citizens’ input, invited local councilors expressed their dedication to incorporating the suggestions into the upcoming 2025 budget.
They also discussed the challenges local governments face, particularly resource allocation and budgetary limitations.
The councilors emphasized the importance of ongoing communication and collaboration between citizens and government officials to ensure the successful execution of the budget.
The meeting concluded on a positive note, with both citizens and councilors committed to continuing constructive dialogue and working together for transparent and accountable governance.
Among the recommendations made were the need for regular participatory budgeting meetings and the development of mechanisms to track the implementation of identified budget priorities.