The Chief Executive, ILEAD AFRICA, Yusuf Abiodun has urged Nigerians to get involved in monitoring and implementation of the budget process, to hold leaders accountable.
He said this during a Youth Budget Conversation, themed ‘Amplifying the voices of youth in political leadership and policy formation’, in collaborations with, BudgIT Foundation, Young Parliamentarians Forum of the National Assembly, and Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports Development on Friday in Abuja.
While stressing on the need for youths to be in the fore front of the initiative, Yusuf said that young persons possess great ideas that can bring the country where it need to be, and that the discussions made by them will be given as recommendation to the national assembly in preparation of the 2024 budget appropriation bill.
He said, “Before now, young people use to display their displeasure in the budget and we see that these doesn’t make any contribution to the budget preparation. we are a formal platform for them where we can put all these ideas together to articulate it and champion it to the national assembly, to make use of our recommendation as they prepare for the 2024 budget appropriation bill.
“Beyond that, we want to see how young people can engage actively in budget monitoring and implementation; because beyond the conversation, beyond the preparation, young people must find a way of following up with the budget to hold their leaders accountable.
“The young people are looking forward for a budget that will work for all, for a budget that will solve the major challenges they are facing and the present issue in the country. we just want to see that we make our voice heard and we ensure that the government get to put our ideas and recommendation into part of the budget preparation and young people are also looking for a platform to participate actively and to contribute their ideas, and we urge the government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to make use of the idea of young people; to carry them along by creating a platform for them and amplifying their voice, because they are well none for innovative ideas and that can bring the country to where it ought to be.” Yusuf said.
In his remarks, Stakeholders Manager, BudgIT Foundation, Orlando Andrew Oaikhua urged the youths to follow up budgets in their various state, and make sure they advocates for good governance in the national and sub national level.
He said, “we actually came to sensitize the public on how we can be involved in the budget presentation and implementation. A resolution has emerged from our discussion where we will now channel it to the appropriate authority, those at the national assembly and then we do a follow up by making sure that whatever is passed in the budget is followed up with proper implementation as well.
“We are also clamoring that people should not be fixated only at the National level, there is a lot happening in the state level that does not go well with civil society organization’s; where you see bloated budget by state government and yet, at the end of the budget circle year, nothing is happening and nobody seems to call them to order, nobody serves as a check to what the state government are doing; so we are actually encouraging those at the subnational level to also go likewise, to make sure that they put their searchlights on these persons, to make sure the project they actually want to do in their budget is carried out for the benefit of the people.
“We shouldn’t rely much on the government, we should rely on ourselves too, even though there is also a need for us as youths to not give up hope, to do what we need to do to also complement the government’s efforts. lets shun negative vices, lets be upright in our dealings.” Andrew said.
While stressing on the need for young persons to get involved in budget process, the Programs Officer, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Center, CISLAC, Sulaiman Mande noted that youths must create an avenue for themselves by bringing innovative ideas that will drive positive change.
“Budget Conversation is a conversation that everyone needs to be carried along. especially young persons, persons with disability, women. It is important that we engage young people in this kind of discussion, in this kind of conversations so that they truly understands what it means to play a part in terms of budgeting and in terms of what is expected of them.
“Young people should not sit down and expect that the government prepare things for them, of course there are things that the government must do for its citizens, but then young people must take the responsibility to do things in a way that adds maximum value to their own lives, so that they can contribute immensely to the development of the nation, that way they create an avenue for themselves to have a kind of partnership with the government. Ideas run the world at the moment, when the government sees that this energetic young people have ideas, don’t have time to point fingers, and blame other people; then they will engage them in ideas that can move the nation forward.
“So it is important that we have this kind of conversation around budgeting with young people, so that we can have a better 2024.” Sulaiman said.
Youth Budget Conversation is an initiative that creates a platform for young people to engage actively in budget preparation, monitoring and implementation.
VANGUARD
