Stakeholders of Nasarawa West Senatorial district have demanded for provisions in the 2026 appropriation bill that will prioritise greater infrastructural development in their areas.
They stated this during the 2025 citizens’ budget town hall consultation for Nasarawa West zone, on Wednesday in Keffi Local Government Area of the state.
The stakeholders in their various presentations, highlighted the needed infrastructure to include, the construction of Primary Health Care centers in Sabo Gida in Kokona LGA, and Bassa communities in Toto LGA, construction of roads in selected areas of Kokona and Karu LGAs.
Speaking during the meeting, Mr Allanana Bawa from Pandan in Karu LGA said the area has not benefited adequately from infrastructure development, despite government’s budget allocations.
On his part, Mr Kyauta Samuel, the Youth Leader in Karu LGA, noted that facilities in Karu have been overstretched due to population growth and called for the renovation and provision of Primary Health Care centers in areas lacking them.
Also speaking, Mr Emmanuel Gbaji and Nasak Bulus from Toto LGA appreciated the governor for facilitating the return of displaced Bassa people to their ancestral homes.
They however, emphasised the need for government infrastructure such as Primary Health Care centres and schools, in Bassa communities.
The stakeholders also appealed for security and maintenance of government facilities to make the people have the sense of inclusion.
Mrs Lucy Bahago from Kokona LGA lamented the lack of Primary Health Care structures in PHC2 and PHC Sabo Gida, which have been operating from rented apartments for over 25 years.
She also appealed for road construction to link these centres.
In her address, Commissioner for Finance, Budget, and Planning, Hajiya Munira Abdullahi represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mr Polinus Wahe, emphasised the state’s commitment to inclusive governance and participatory budgeting.
“The theme for this year’s budget engagement, ‘Fostering Collaboration on Resource Allocation – Key to Participation in Governance’, speaks directly to the core of our vision of ensuring that every citizen, regardless of background or status, has a say in how government resources are allocated,”she said
Abdullahi noted that since the inception of citizen budget engagement in Nasarawa, the state has made progress in ensuring that budgeting is people-centered.
“Budgeting in Nasarawa State is now a people-centered process where your voices, your needs, and your aspirations inform and shape government planning and implementation,” she added.
The Commissioner urged participants to speak freely and articulate the needs of the people they represent, assuring that their submissions would be reviewed and considered in the 2026 budget. She emphasised:
“Our goal remains to build a budget that truly reflects the priorities of the people.”
On his part, the Director of Budget, Mr Peter Akolo-Ataka, explained that participants were drawn from various sectors, including youth groups, women organisations, faith-based organisations, and civil society organizations, from the Western Senatorial zone.
He added that the ministry provided an abridged version of the 2025 budget in English and Hausa to facilitate a robust engagement.
