Lagos PDP Demands Accountability for N4.44tn Budget

The Lagos budget accountability debate has intensified, with the state PDP challenging Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to explain how the N4.44 trillion 2026 budget is being implemented.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said Lagos residents deserve clear information on how much of the appropriation has been released and spent, which projects have been delivered, their completion levels and the impact on communities.

The 2026 budget provides N2.34 trillion for capital expenditure and N2.11 trillion for recurrent expenditure.

PDP spokesman Prince Christopher Odianarewo said the size of the budget raised questions about whether public spending was producing visible improvements in residents’ daily lives.

The opposition party asked: “Where are the completed roads and improved drainage systems? Where are the functioning public hospitals, affordable homes and better schools? Where are the sustainable solutions to flooding, waste management and traffic congestion?”

The opposition party said it was not against government spending. However, it insisted that the administration must demonstratetransparency, accountability and measurable results when using public funds.

It called on the Sanwo-Olu administration to publish a comprehensive 2026 Budget Implementation and Project Accountability Report. According to the PDP, the report should provide:

• Details of major projects and their original budget allocations.
• Amounts released and spent on each project.
• Names of contractors and implementing agencies.
• Project commencement and expected completion dates.
• Current completion status.
• Details of revised costs or cost variations.

The party said this information would allow taxpayers and other stakeholders to assess whether the state’s ambitious spending plan was delivering the infrastructure and social services promised to residents.

The PDP also wants the government to disclose how much of the N4.44 trillion budget had been spent as of September 2026 and identify the capital projects completed so far.

It asked for details of projects that are behind schedule or affected by cost variations, as well as the state’s current debt profile.

The opposition party further requested a breakdown showing the share of the 2026 budget directed towards education, healthcare, housing and infrastructure.

It also questioned how the N807.1 billion reportedly generated in the first quarter of 2026 had been used.

According to the PDP, the success of any government should ultimately be judged by what residents experience, rather than the size of its budget.

The party said the true measure of public expenditure should include properly equipped schools, affordable healthcare, better transport conditions and improved protection for communities affected by flooding.

It urged civil society organisations, labour unions, the media and Lagos residents to demand greater openness in the implementation of the state budget.

“Don’t just tell Lagosians the size of the budget. Show us the projects, the contracts, the expenditures and the results,” the party said.

The PDP also argued that Lagos, as Nigeria’s economic hub with significant internally generated revenue, has the financial capacity to provide stronger public services and infrastructure.

It maintained that large budget figures should not become “empty statistics”. Instead, residents should be able to see how public resources are being deployed and what those investments are achieving.

The Lagos budget accountability question now places greater focus on the gap between government allocations and the results residents can see on the ground, with the PDP calling for detailed evidence of spending and project delivery.

Should state governments be required to publish regular, detailed reports showing exactly how budget allocations are spent?