Lagos' 2020 budget to drive Sanwo-Olu's T.H.E.M.E.S agenda

Samuel Egube

Sam Egube. Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget

Sam Egube

The Lagos State Government on Thursday said the 2020 budget will be fashioned to drive Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s T.H.E.M.E.S. agenda.

T.H.E.M.E.S. is an acronym standing for Traffic Management and Transportation; Health and Environment; Education and Technology; Making Lagos a 21st Century state; Security and Governance.

Speaking at the 2020 Budget Consultative Forum for Lagos West Senatorial District in Idimu area of Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Sam Egube said key the focus of the budget would be on T.H.E.M.E.S.

Egube said there would be completion of ongoing projects and initiation of new ones next year, saying that there would a continuous improvement of urban mass transit system and the Blue Rail line, as well as up-scaling of roads construction and improving connectivity.

He said the budget would also focus on rehabilitation of schools and hospitals and sustaining the ‘Light-up initiative of the state government.

According to the commissioner, during Sanwo-Olu’s campaign, he did promise to run an open government by carrying everybody along, which he said, informed the consultative forum to allow citizens’ participation in governance.

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He disclosed that Lagos, by 2030, was expected to be the largest consumer market in the world with Tokyo and India coming next respectively, saying that this growth would have to come with up-scaling of infrastructure, which meant that Lagos would have to embrace the Public-Private Partnership, PPP, arrangement to drive infrastructural renewal as government alone could not do it.

Special Adviser to the Governor on Economic Planning and Budget, Adebayo Sodade said the forum was aimed at giving credence, as well as greater transparency and accountability to the state’s budget preparation process, stressing that the process had become expedient and very useful in the past as it was used as a avenue not only to update stakeholders on the half-year performance of the budget, but also as an avenue for government to inform stakeholders of the total resources available for the annual budget, among others.

Sodade explained that the 2020 budget was being designed to be people-oriented in order to ensure a ‘Lagos that works for all’ irrespective of age, gender, tribe or status, saying that government looked forward to have a robust citizens’ participation in the budget preparation process by every organisation and bodies.

“You will be expected to present ideas that are beneficial to the people and of utmost importance towards improving the socio-economic wellbeing, wealth and crucial development of this district,” he said.

 

 

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