The Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun has attributed the successful implementation of the 2024 budget to an increase in funds due to the effective maximisation of more revenue areas and blockage of leakages in the system.
Abiodun stated this during the town hall meeting on the 2025-2027 Medium Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF, and 2025 Budget for Ogun West Senatorial District held at Ilaro.
The Governor, who was represented by his Chief Economic Adviser and Commissioner for Finance, Mr Dapo Okubadejo, noted that the 2024 budget has already achieved 80 percent implementation, ascribing the success to the various reforms embarked on by the state government.
He said: “Putting the record straight, before our emergence in 2019, budget implementation was below 40 percent but the present administration has moved it up to an average of 75 percent.
“Implementation of the 2024 budget is 80 percent and that of last year was also 80 percent. We have put in place various mechanisms for the execution of the budget and these mechanisms are in line with our pillars of development. We also put in place delivery mechanisms and strategies to ensure the variant of most of the budget.
“Also, we have embarked upon a lot of reforms to block leakages, and improve efficiency of service delivery. We also looked at other revenue areas; we have embarked on massive digitalization to enhance our revenue in those areas without necessarily overtaxing our people.”
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Budget Planning, Mr Olaolu Olabimtan, noted the invaluable contributions to the previous budgets by the people of the State, saying the people’s input would go a long way in putting together the 2025 budget.
On his part, the Olu of Ilaro and Chairman of the Ogun State Council of Obas, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, represented by the Onimeko of Imeko, Oba Benjamin Olanite, called for the reconstruction of more roads in the area to improve the economic activities of the people.