Youth Group Blasts Kwara Government Over Secretive Budget Process

A civil society organization, the Brain Builder’s Youth Development Initiative (BBYDI), has called on the Kwara State Government and the State House of Assembly to ensure the immediate public release of the proposed 2026 budget.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the group’s Global Director, Olasupo Abideen, described the delayed access as a setback for transparency and participatory governance.

While acknowledging that the budget is eventually made public, BBYDI highlighted that the release has been consistently delayed in recent years, forcing citizens and organizations to make formal requests.

“A public budget is not a favour granted upon request. It is the right of the people,” Abideen stated, criticizing the practice as unacceptable in a democracy.

The group also expressed concern that the State Assembly allowed the budget process to advance without ensuring the document was in the public domain, noting that this limits scrutiny and could lead to inefficient use of funds.

BBYDI urged the government to publish the budget on all official platforms immediately and called on the Assembly to suspend further deliberation until it is publicly accessible.

Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq presented the proposed N644 billion “Budget of Consolidation and Sustained Growth” to the legislature on December 22, 2025. The fiscal plan prioritizes capital projects, security, worker welfare, and social protection.