Oyebanji Extends Citizens' Engagement Policy to All LGAs, LCDAs

Oyebanji Extends Citizens’ Engagement Policy to All LGAs, LCDAs
All council chairmen must hold meetings with traditional rulers, community leaders, party leaders
Significant portion of the 2026 budget will provide credit facilities for artisans and the informal sector

Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has directed all local government area (LGA) and local council development area (LCDA) chairmen to hold comprehensive citizens’ engagements before preparing their 2026 budgets.

EDITOR’S PICKS

EKO HOT BLOG reports that Governor issued the directive today during the Town Hall Meeting and Citizens’ Engagement for the 2026 state budget preparation, which covered the Ekiti North and Ekiti Central Senatorial Districts in Otun Ekiti and Ijero Ekiti, respectively.

Oyebanji emphasized that this policy, mirroring the state-level consultations, is crucial to ensuring that local budgets reflect the genuine needs of the populace.

“The same way we visit our people to ask for their requests to be included in the state budget, the local government chairmen should do the same,” he stated. “The 2026 budgets of the local governments should not be prepared without consultation with people living in such local government areas.”

The directive mandates that all council chairmen must hold meetings with traditional rulers, community leaders, party leaders, and representatives of various interest groups, with reports of these engagements forming part of the House of Assembly’s oversight function.

During the meeting, representatives from the ten LGAs presented requests covering township roads, electricity, water, health facilities, and security initiatives.
In response, Governor Oyebanji promised to devote a significant portion of the 2026 budget to providing credit facilities for artisans and the informal sector to stimulate the grassroots economy.

The Governor noted that the annual engagement exercise has already yielded tangible results across the state, adding that connecting with the grassroots underscores his commitment to responsive governance.